Britain and Israel have reached a compromise after a weeks-long diplomatic dispute over UK sanctions on Israeli settlements. Most British diplomats will leave the consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, but the facility will remain open under a new name with a reduced staff.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced that 20 diplomats, including the consul general, will depart from the British consulate, which Israel said it was closing in retaliation for UK sanctions on West Bank settlements. A task force of seven diplomats will remain "with a very limited scope of activity," Saar said on social media.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband rejected Israel's claim that the consulate was closing. He said staff had been "temporarily withdrawn" for security reasons and stressed the building "will not be closing." The facility will now operate as a "UK Mission, Jerusalem," separate from the main British embassy in Tel Aviv.
The consulate, established in 1838, handles UK relations with Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem. Israel announced the closure order in September after Britain imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements, which international law deems illegal.
According to Miliband, the remaining seven diplomats will be "independent and operational" and will "continue to deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people." He said the UK had not reached agreement on security assurances and would temporarily reduce staff presence but planned to rebuild it over coming months.
British officials characterized the arrangement as preserving key diplomatic objectives. The UK maintained its presence in East Jerusalem, retained its sanctions on settlements without backing down, and avoided an escalating tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats from London and Tel Aviv. Officials said British diplomats remaining on the ground reinforce the principle that international representation should continue in East Jerusalem.
Miliband stated that the UK "will not take reciprocal action while such discussions are underway" but indicated the threat of British retaliation remains possible if talks fail. The dispute appears temporarily set aside pending Israeli elections scheduled for late January.