British consulate in Jerusalem turns into small UK mission

The British consulate in East Jerusalem stopped working as a consulate on Thursday and will continue as a far smaller UK mission with seven diplomats.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the change. Under a new understanding between the two governments, he said, 20 British diplomats will depart. However, he allowed Britain to keep the building open for “a task force of only 7 diplomats” with a very limited scope of work. According to Sa’ar, Britain will also take no action against Israel over the closure order.

Overnight, consulate workers took down a plaque reading “British Consulate General” along with a sign for its consular section. Still, the British flag kept flying over the building, which stands in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.

London rejects the British consulate closure

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said London does not accept that Israel has a legal right to shut the mission. He repeated the long-held British view that East Jerusalem remains under occupation. From now on, the building will carry the name UK Mission, Jerusalem.

Miliband said the mission remains independent and operational. It “will continue to deliver vital services for the Palestinian people,” he added. Without an understanding with Israel, however, Britain lacked the assurances it needed to protect its staff and premises. As a result, London has temporarily pulled out a number of staff members and their families.

Britain will now work to rebuild its presence over the coming months, Miliband said. Meanwhile, it will not retaliate while talks with Israel continue in good faith. He also said Britain stands firmly behind the measures it took on 8 September.

Why Israel ordered the closure

Israel ordered the mission shut within 30 days after Britain, France and Canada announced bans on goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Sa’ar called the British step “morally distorted” and accused London of meddling in Israeli elections, which take place on October 27.

In addition, 12 British politicians may no longer enter Israel. It also removed British staff from a Gaza coordination centre and ended British training of Palestinian security forces in the West Bank. So far, Israel has not taken similar steps against France or Canada.

Many governments around the world view the settlements as unlawful under international law. Israel, however, rejects that view, calling the West Bank disputed territory.

Nearly two centuries in Jerusalem

Britain first set up the consulate in 1838, long before Israel came into being. Its work covers ties between Britain and Palestinians across Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians also turn to it for consular services. By contrast, the British embassy in Tel Aviv, which deals with the Israeli government, faces no change.

London tried hard to save the mission. Last week, National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell visited Israel for talks but left without a deal. Israeli media also reported that Britain had threatened to expel as many as 27 Israeli diplomats if the closure went ahead.

Emily Thornberry, who chairs the foreign affairs committee in parliament, said Israel had no right to close a consulate in occupied territory. She called the closure illegal and said Britain must resist it. For now, the scaled-down British consulate will keep serving Palestinians under its new name.