Most diplomats will leave the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, Israel says, but the UK insists the building “will not close” and will operate as a “UK Mission”. “We didn’t want it to come to this,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on social media, saying that 20 diplomats and the consul general would leave Israel, while a task force of seven could remain in the building “with a very limited scope of activity.” UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband responded that some staff had been “temporarily withdrawn” for security reasons, but stressed that the mission “will work with the Palestinian people”. Israel said in September it would close the consulate, in retaliation for UK sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law. advertisement. The consulate handles the UK’s relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, as well as the West Bank and Gaza. It is distinct from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv, which is the UK’s main diplomatic center with Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the country had implemented measures announced on September 8 in response to UK sanctions. media.However, the British flag could still be seen outside on Thursday morning, and several members of staff were seen entering.Saar said talks with the UK government had resulted in an agreement on certain principles, including that “the consul general and 20 diplomats (including the consul general) are ending their duties and will leave Israel.” But Saar acknowledged that the building is “property of the British government” and said that Israel had authorized “a task force of only seven diplomats with a very limited scope of activity” to operate in the As a result of this agreement with the United Kingdom, he said, “no action will be taken against Israel.” Israeli media had been reporting that the UK had threatened to expel Israeli diplomats from London, raising the prospect of further damaging bilateral relations. About twenty British diplomats, including the consul general, leave. But Miliband says they will do so only temporarily and only for his safety. He continues to insist that Israel has no legal right to close the consulate. “The UK Government reiterates its long-held view that East Jerusalem is occupied territory,” Miliband wrote in a statement. Following talks with the Israeli government, he said, the building “will not close” and will be known as the UK Mission in Jerusalem from Thursday. However, Miliband said no understanding had been reached on the “safeguards necessary for the safety and security of our staff and facilities”. “We removed several staff members and their families to ensure their safety,” he added. The Foreign Office said the seven remaining UK diplomats will be “independent and operational” and continue to provide vital services. Israel said they will provide “only a limited scope of activity.” FCDO sources described the agreement as a “good result” because the entire operation was not closed, as had been threatened. They said maintaining a UK presence would help rebuild the mission in the future. The Foreign Secretary made clear that the UK reserved the right to take what he called “reciprocal measures” but said it would not do so while “discussions are ongoing and credible”. That means the UK is unlikely to retaliate before Israel’s election later this month.
