Israel Forces Out British Diplomats in Jerusalem Following West Bank Sanctions

Israel has announced that the majority of British diplomats will depart from the British Consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, following UK sanctions imposed on settlements in the occupied West Bank.

According to the BBC, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that Israel implemented the measures it had announced and committed to on September 8 in response to British sanctions. Sa’ar said: “The British Consulate in Jerusalem shuts down its operations today. Accordingly, the plaque of the British Consulate in Jerusalem has been removed.” Despite this, the British flag remained visible outside the building, and several staff members entered on Thursday morning.

Sa’ar noted that talks with the British government led to an agreement on specific principles, including that “the Consul General and 20 diplomats (including the Consul General) are ending their duties and will leave Israel.” At the same time, the Israeli Foreign Minister acknowledged that the building “is owned by the British Government,” clarifying that Israel permitted a “skeleton staff of only seven diplomats with a very limited scope of operations” to work inside. He added that as a result of this agreement with the United Kingdom, “no steps will be taken against Israel.”

In response, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated that the United Kingdom has “temporarily withdrawn some staff” for security reasons, emphasizing that the mission “will continue to work with the Palestinian people.” Miliband added that the UK government does not accept that Israel has the right to close the consulate, reiterating London’s position that “East Jerusalem is occupied territory.” Miliband noted that following discussions with the Israeli government, the building “will not close” and will be known as the “UK Mission in Jerusalem.” He further explained that discussions did not yield an understanding regarding “the necessary guarantees for the security and protection of our staff and premises.”

Israel had announced last September that it would close the British Consulate in retaliation for revised UK sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. The British Consulate, originally established in 1838, manages UK relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, as well as in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, operating separately from the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.