Israel to 'shut British consulate in East Jerusalem' in retaliation over sanctions

Israel said the British consulate in East Jerusalem is closing today in retaliation for the UK's ban on trade with illegal West Bank settlements. The Israeli government said it would shutter the mission, which represents the UK in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, within 30 days of the sanctions announcements on September 8. This means the consulate is due to lose its diplomatic status today (October 8) unless an agreement is reached. This will result in about 30 diplomats being barred from legally operating from the building. The consulate was first established in 1838 and handles relations between the UK and Palestinians in Jerusalem but also in the West Bank and Gaza. In a statement issued this morning, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the consulate building "will not be closing" but instead operate as "the UK Mission, Jerusalem from today". He said: "We have been clear that we do not accept that the Government of Israel has the legal right to close the British Consulate General in Jerusalem, which has been there for nearly 200 years. "The UK government reiterates its long-standing view that East Jerusalem is occupied territory." He added that the UK Mission is "independent, operational and will continue to deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people". A number of staff in their families have been withdrawn, Mr Miliband added, to "ensure their safety and security". Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said his country would refuse to change its position after the UK Government was believed to make a last-ditch attempt this week to get Israel to rethink the closure decision. The consulate is a separate mission to the UK embassy in Tel Aviv, which is the country’s main diplomatic interface with Israel. Up to 27 Israeli diplomats could be expelled from the UK if the consulate closure will indeed go ahead, Israeli media reports. The BBC quoted a Foreign Office official as saying the government department would not comment on "speculation and live discussions" around the possibility of expulsions. The retaliation has come after the UK accused the Israeli government of turning a blind eye to the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians. This was criticised by both the US and Israel as a ban on imports from illegal settlements in the West Bank and sanctions on individuals and firms providing services to settlers were announced. Mr Miliband told the Commons that a "new approach" was necessary because plans for the E1 development in the West Bank would render a two-state solution "unviable" by "cutting through the heart of Palestine". He said the British Government believes the occupation of the West Bank as a whole is unlawful, going beyond the previous position of describing only the settlements themselves as illegal. Mr Miliband added that there is increasing evidence that war crimes have been committed in Gaza by Israel. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the sanctions were "aimed not at the Israeli people, but in support of the two-state solution". The Foreign Office has been approached for comment. A total of 11 people were arrested yesterday in London following pro-Palestine demonstrations on the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in Israel. This came as protesters clashed in central London, with five people arrested for inciting racial hatred, involving allegedly shouting or chanting slogans calling for intifada in what the Metropolitan Police described as a "spontaneous protest" outside the Board of Deputies in Camden. Later, four people were arrested at one of the pro-Palestine student marches and one at a counter-protest in Holborn for breaching the Public Order Act. Another individual at one of the student marches was arrested for common assault, the force said. The student pro-Palestine demonstrations took place despite calls for a ban on the protests or for them to be moved to a different date. Around 100 pro-Palestine protesters marched and chanted "Free, free Palestine" and "Free the people, free the land" in London, with a group at the back of the march holding a banner reading: "Holocaust survivor descendants against Gaza genocide". Wednesday marked the third anniversary of the attacks on October 7, which saw Hamas-led militants invade Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 250 others hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has since killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed much of Gaza and driven most of its two million residents from their homes.