Israel’s decision to close the British Consulate in occupied East Jerusalem and withdraw its diplomats’ accreditation has intensified tensions with the United Kingdom. The action follows British measures targeting trade and commercial activity linked to illegal Israeli colonies in the occupied West Bank.
Israel has directed the British Consulate in occupied East Jerusalem to cease operations and has notified diplomats assigned to the mission that their accreditation will be withdrawn within 30 days, according to two Israeli officials and two sources familiar with the decision.
One Israeli official and two sources familiar with the decision stated that British personnel assigned to a US-led Gaza coordination mission and British diplomats stationed in Ramallah had been instructed to depart within seven days.
The measures reflected a broader deterioration in relations between Israel and the United Kingdom.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that the decision to close the consulate was taken in response to British measures concerning trade and commercial activity associated with Israeli colonizers in the occupied West Bank.
|12 Nations Back Restrictions on Products from Israeli Colonies|
Britain announced restrictions on goods originating from colonies, as well as measures targeting individuals and companies that support, finance, facilitate, or derive profit from their expansion. France and Canada also announced import prohibitions, while several other countries endorsed measures concerning colony-related trade.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the British government regarded the forced removal of Palestinians from parts of the occupied West Bank by colonizer extremists as “ethnic cleansing.” He accused the Israeli government of having “turned a blind eye” to the violence and said some of its members had supported the displacement.
The British Consulate in East Jerusalem manages the United Kingdom’s relations with the Palestinian Authority and its engagement on Palestinian affairs in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
Under international law, East Jerusalem forms part of the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
UN Security Council Resolution 478 (1980) determined that Israeli measures purporting to alter Jerusalem’s character and status are null and void and called on states not to recognize them.
The International Court of Justice reaffirmed in its 2024 advisory opinion that East Jerusalem is part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and that Israel is not entitled to sovereignty over any part of that territory by virtue of its occupation.
Sources
- Reuters: “Israel tells Britain to close East Jerusalem consulate within 30 days, sources say”
- The Guardian: “Israel to close British consulate in Jerusalem after sanctions announced”
- RTÉ: “UK given 30 days to close its consulate in East Jerusalem”
- Arab48 (Arabic article)
- United Nations: Security Council Resolution 478 (1980), official English text
