Britain and Israel said the Jerusalem consulate will stay open as the UK Mission with seven diplomats after 20 leave.
Britain and Israel said on Thursday that the British diplomatic mission in Jerusalem would remain open on a smaller scale and under a new name, Reuters reported. The consulate, founded in 1839, will be called the UK Mission. The announcement came as a 30-day Israeli closure order expired.
Israel said 20 British diplomats, including the consul general, would leave and seven would stay. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the consulate would formally end operations but some diplomats could keep working. Britain said the withdrawals were temporary.
The order followed London's sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including a ban on trade in goods from those settlements. Israel issued the deadline on 8 September. David Miliband said the building would not close and would be known as the UK Mission from Thursday.
The building is in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem and handles relations with Palestinians. Britain's embassy to Israel is separate.
The new fact is the rename and reduced staffing. The reports did not list which services the seven remaining diplomats will still provide.
People Sentiments Mixed
- David Miliband said the building would not close and would be known as the UK Mission.
- Gideon Saar said the consulate would formally end operations while some diplomats stayed.