Israel announces closure of British consulate in East Jerusalem
Israel has announced the end of operations of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, while London says it does not recognize Israel's legal authority to close the mission. The building will continue operating under the name UK Mission, Jerusalem.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the decision took effect on Thursday. The consul general and around 20 British diplomats are expected to leave, while seven diplomats will be allowed to continue working from the building under a restricted mandate.
Israel described the move as a countermeasure following a series of British actions, including sanctions related to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and restrictions on defense exports.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said London does not accept that Israel has the legal right to close the consulate, noting that the UK regards East Jerusalem as occupied territory. He said the building would remain open and the mission would continue its work with Palestinians.
Britain temporarily withdrew some staff and their families for security reasons but said it intends to rebuild its diplomatic presence in the coming months.
According to CCTV+, the two sides differ over the legal status of the diplomatic mission, but talks resulted in an arrangement allowing part of the British diplomatic presence in Jerusalem to continue.
