UK Consulate in East Jerusalem Removes Signs as Israeli Shutdown Deadline Expires

Workers at the UK consulate in occupied East Jerusalem have removed its signage as the Israeli shutdown deadline arrives, further damaging strained ties between allies. Journalists from the Reuters news agency observed workers taking down a plaque reading “British Consulate General” from the building on Thursday, alongside another sign designated for its consular section, though the UK flag continued to fly overhead.

This development marks 30 days since Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar ordered the closure of the consulate in occupied East Jerusalem. The directive came in response to a wave of sanctions imposed by the UK on illegal Israeli settlements, which included a ban on importing goods produced within them. While the United Nations and the majority of nations view these settlements as illegal under international law, Israel disputes this stance.

According to unverified Israeli media reports, the United Kingdom had threatened to expel 27 Israeli diplomats if Israel moved forward with closing the consulate. The consulate did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Despite efforts by the UK to keep the facility open—including dispatching the country’s top national security adviser to Israel for talks last week—Israel has remained adamant that the consulate must close.

The UK’s diplomatic presence in the city spans nearly 200 years, established long before the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. While this closure order impacts the consulate located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem—which manages relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, and Gaza, and provides consular services to Palestinians—it does not affect the UK’s embassy in Tel Aviv, which maintains diplomatic relations with the Israeli government.

The UK Foreign Office declined to comment on Wednesday regarding whether the consulate remained operational or if its diplomatic staff had returned to the UK. Even with these mounting tensions, the UK and Israel maintain close partnerships in the economic, security, and intelligence sectors.