UK rejects Israeli authority over Jerusalem Consulate as diplomatic staff depart
The Palestine Chronicle reports on 8 October 2026:
Key Takeaways
- Britain said its nearly 200-year-old Jerusalem consulate would remain open under the name UK Mission, Jerusalem, rejecting Israel’s legal authority to close it.
- Gideon Sa’ar said the consulate had ended operations and that 20 diplomats, including the consul general, would depart, leaving seven diplomats with limited duties.
- The dispute followed British sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements and additional restrictions on defense exports to Israel.
Britain Says Jerusalem Mission Will Remain Open
Britain said its diplomatic mission in occupied East Jerusalem would remain open despite an Israeli closure order, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband rejecting Israel’s legal authority to shut it down.
Following talks with Israel, Miliband announced that the nearly 200-year-old Consulate General would operate under the name UK Mission, Jerusalem. He reaffirmed that Britain considers East Jerusalem occupied territory. The “Consulate General building will not be closing, and will be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem from today,” he said.
Meanwhile, workers removed the consulate’s signage Thursday as Israel’s 30-day deadline expired, an Anadolu news agency correspondent reported from the scene. The correspondent saw workers taking down both the plaque identifying the building as the British Consulate General and the signage for its consular section.