A compromise that keeps the building open
Britain said on Thursday that its consulate in East Jerusalem would continue operating on a smaller scale and be renamed the "UK Mission", as a 30-day deadline set by Israel expired. Israel had ordered the consulate shut and its diplomats removed from the city in retaliation for Britain's plan to impose sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including a ban on trade in goods made there. A last-minute pact reached on Wednesday night, according to La Vanguardia, keeps the building open while ending the consulate's consular functions. Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar said the consulate would formally cease its activity and that a limited number of British diplomats could continue working in the building.
It is not possible to act against Israel without Israel taking the appropriate measures. We did not want to reach this point.
Staff and signage on the ground
Overnight, workers removed a plaque reading "British Consulate General" and a sign for the consular section, while Reuters journalists saw the British flag still flying over the building. According to La Vanguardia, seven diplomats remain in the building and cannot carry out consular functions. EL PAÍS reports that 20 diplomats, including the consul general, have left Jerusalem. Reuters sources said the closure order affects around 30 British diplomats along with their family members. The British embassy in Tel Aviv, which handles relations with Israel's government, is not affected by the order.
Britain's Middle East minister, Stephen Doughty, told Sky News that talks with the Israeli government were ongoing and that London deeply regretted Israel's actions over the consulate. He said the building would stay open and that the work in Jerusalem needed to continue.
Our building remains open, our staff remain doing important work.
The sanctions behind the order
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced the expanded settlement sanctions last month, coordinated with ten other countries including France and Canada, according to La Vanguardia. The package allows sanctions to reach those who build or finance settlements, bans trade in settlement goods and restricts some arms exports. Israel has not yet taken measures against France or Canada. The United Nations and most countries consider the settlements illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes. Israel is preparing for national elections due on 27 October, and Benjamin Netanyahu is campaigning.
Status, precedent and what comes next
The consulate in Sheikh Jarrah has operated since around 1839, according to the National Library of Israel, when the area was part of the Ottoman Empire. Its diplomats form an independent team that reports directly to London rather than to the Tel Aviv embassy. Britain had considered expelling Israeli diplomats from London in response to a closure, and Miliband has said Britain does not recognise Israel's legal right to close the building. Miliband said Britain had withdrawn a number of staff and families in recent weeks and would now work to rebuild its presence.
We will work in the coming months to build back up our presence, and we will not take reciprocal action while such discussions are underway and credible.
- Israel orders Britain to close the East Jerusalem consulate within 30 days
- Last-minute pact reached that keeps the building open with reduced staff
- 30-day deadline expires and the consulate is renamed a UK Mission
Daniel Seidemann, an Israeli lawyer and expert on the geopolitics of Jerusalem, assessed the arrangement as the best of several options available to Britain.
The arrangement that the UK arrived at with Israel was probably the optimal among a number of options that were even worse. So I'm not faulting anybody, but this is far from a victory.
One source described the arrangement as a temporary "ceasefire", and negotiations on the status of the consulate and its staff could resume if Israel gets a new leader in three weeks.