Workers removed signs from the British consulate in East Jerusalem overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, as a 30-day deadline set by Israel for closing the premises and withdrawing British diplomats from the city expired, in the latest development in the escalating diplomatic crisis between London and Tel Aviv.
Journalists on Thursday saw workers dismantling a sign reading “British Consulate General”, along with another sign referring to the consular section. The British flag, however, remained flying above the building after the two signs were removed. The consulate did not immediately comment on the move, and it was unclear whether it meant all its activities had officially ceased.
British measures targeting settlements
Israel had given Britain a deadline to close its consulate in East Jerusalem and remove its diplomats, in response to London's announcement of measures targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The British measures include a trade ban on products manufactured in those settlements. The United Nations and most countries consider the settlements illegal under international law, while Israel rejects that position.
The closure decision came despite British attempts to keep the consulate open, including a visit by the British national security adviser to Israel last week for talks. Britain's consular presence in Jerusalem dates back nearly two centuries, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
The consulate is located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem and manages Britain's relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as well as providing consular services. The Israeli decision does not affect the British embassy in Tel Aviv, which manages diplomatic relations with the Israeli government.
Reuters reported, citing sources, that the consulate's closure affects about 30 British diplomats, as well as their family members. On Wednesday, the British Foreign Office declined to clarify whether the consulate was still operating or whether any of its diplomats had left for the United Kingdom. This came before workers were seen removing the signs as the deadline expired.
The consulate manages relations with Palestinians
In a move that could take the dispute to another level, Britain is considering expelling Israeli diplomats working at Israel's embassy in London in response to the closure of its consulate in Jerusalem. An exchange of expulsions would represent an unusual escalation between the two countries, amid their close economic, security and intelligence ties.
The crisis follows a deterioration in British-Israeli relations over the past three years amid the war in Gaza, British criticism of Israeli military operations and settler attacks in the West Bank. In turn, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses Britain's governing Labour Party of taking hostile positions towards Israel.
Britain considers expelling Israeli diplomats
With Israel standing by its decision to close the consulate, attention is focused on the step the British government may take, particularly as the dispute could expand from measures concerning consular missions to an exchange of diplomatic expulsions between London and Tel Aviv.
