403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were looking for doesn't exist.
UK Rebrands Jerusalem Consulate to Stay Open After Israel Order
(MENAFN) Britain said Thursday that its consulate in occupied East Jerusalem will stay open under a new name, the “UK Mission, Jerusalem,” defying an Israeli order to close it over London’s ban on goods from illegal settlements.
Announcing the decision on the US platform X, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain does not recognize Israel’s legal authority to shut the nearly 200-year-old diplomatic post.
“Following discussions with the Government of Israel, our Consulate General building will not be closing, and will be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem from today,” he said.
Miliband said the mission would remain operational, keep delivering services and continue working with Palestinians, and he restated London’s position that East Jerusalem is occupied territory.
“The UK Mission, Jerusalem is independent, operational, and will continue to deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people,” he said.
He acknowledged that Britain had temporarily pulled out some staff and their families for security reasons. He said London would hold off on retaliation while talks continue.
“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,” the foreign secretary said.
Miliband also reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to the measures announced on Sept. 8, which he said support a two-state solution to bring peace to Israelis and Palestinians. They include sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and a ban on imports of settlement products. Israel responded by ordering the consulate closed within 30 days, a deadline that expired Thursday.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar offered a different account. He said the consulate had stopped operating and that 20 British diplomats, including the consul general, would leave Israel. He said Israel had cleared only seven diplomats to remain, working under restricted conditions. The building belongs to the British government, Saar added, and Israel had allowed London to keep a team of seven there with a “significantly limited scope of activities.”
Both sides said they had agreed to continue talks.
An Anadolu correspondent on the ground reported that workers took down signage from the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem on Thursday. The closure order does not affect the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Announcing the decision on the US platform X, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain does not recognize Israel’s legal authority to shut the nearly 200-year-old diplomatic post.
“Following discussions with the Government of Israel, our Consulate General building will not be closing, and will be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem from today,” he said.
Miliband said the mission would remain operational, keep delivering services and continue working with Palestinians, and he restated London’s position that East Jerusalem is occupied territory.
“The UK Mission, Jerusalem is independent, operational, and will continue to deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people,” he said.
He acknowledged that Britain had temporarily pulled out some staff and their families for security reasons. He said London would hold off on retaliation while talks continue.
“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,” the foreign secretary said.
Miliband also reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to the measures announced on Sept. 8, which he said support a two-state solution to bring peace to Israelis and Palestinians. They include sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and a ban on imports of settlement products. Israel responded by ordering the consulate closed within 30 days, a deadline that expired Thursday.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar offered a different account. He said the consulate had stopped operating and that 20 British diplomats, including the consul general, would leave Israel. He said Israel had cleared only seven diplomats to remain, working under restricted conditions. The building belongs to the British government, Saar added, and Israel had allowed London to keep a team of seven there with a “significantly limited scope of activities.”
Both sides said they had agreed to continue talks.
An Anadolu correspondent on the ground reported that workers took down signage from the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem on Thursday. The closure order does not affect the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any
responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos,
licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues
related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment