Britain will keep its nearly 200-year-old consulate in Jerusalem operating on a smaller scale after reaching an agreement with Israel to avoid its closure.
The facility will be renamed the “UK Mission” in Jerusalem, following a diplomatic dispute over British sanctions against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Israel had ordered Britain to close the East Jerusalem consulate within 30 days and withdraw its diplomats from the city. The deadline expired on Thursday.
The dispute began after Britain announced plans to ban the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, the consulate handles Britain’s relations with Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. It also provides consular services to Palestinians.
The consulate has operated in Jerusalem since around 1839, when the area was part of the Ottoman Empire.
East Jerusalem is regarded as occupied territory under international law, while Israel considers the entire city its capital. Most countries do not recognise Israel’s claim over East Jerusalem and support negotiations on the city’s final status.
Britain’s embassy in Israel is located in Tel Aviv, while Israel’s main government institutions are based in Jerusalem.
Several other countries, including France, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Spain and Sweden, maintain similar consular arrangements in Jerusalem.
The United States moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018 during Donald Trump’s first presidential term and merged it with its existing consulate in the city.
