Israel downgrades U.K. consulate in East Jerusalem over settler sanctions

British citizens and Palestinian communities relying on the UK's diplomatic presence in East Jerusalem face a radically reduced office following a diplomatic crisis. Israel on Thursday downgraded Britain’s 188 year old consulate in East Jerusalem, expelling 20 diplomats and scaling back services to Palestinians, but stopped short of closing the facility entirely after last minute negotiations.

The dispute centers on whether the diplomatic post has been shuttered or merely reorganized. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar declared on social media that the British consulate had ended its role, stating that the consul general and 19 diplomats were ending their assignments and leaving Israel. By contrast, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband insisted the property would remain open as the UK Mission, Jerusalem. The compromise permits a skeletal task force of only seven diplomats to remain inside the building under a very limited scope of activity.

Sanctions and Settler Policy Trigger the Dispute

The diplomatic rupture stems from actions taken on September 8, when Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced a ban on imports from illegal settlements in the West Bank and sanctions on individuals and firms providing services to settlers. Miliband accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of turning a blind eye to the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned those accusations as outrageous lies and warned that no action can be taken against Israel without appropriate retaliatory measures.

Israeli media had reported that the UK had threatened to expel up to 27 Israeli diplomats from London if the closure went ahead. Yet Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar maintained that no measures will be taken against Israel as a result of the implementation of the decisions. Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty defended the arrangement on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, denying that the outcome amounted to a political fudge and emphasizing that the presence remains despite the new name.

Historical Precedent and Diplomatic Stalemates

Today's forced downgrade echoes previous disruptions in the long history of British diplomacy in the contested city, though current geopolitical lines are sharper. Vincent Fean, former British Consul General in Jerusalem, told Al Jazeera that it did not “matter” what the consulate was now called. Fean praised the British government for acting correctly on September 8, specifically on the issue of E1 – the red line – settlement the Israelis are planning and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says is designed to bury the two-state solution. The E1 settlement aims to link Ma’ale Adumim and other illegal Israeli settlements to occupied East Jerusalem, effectively severing the West Bank in two.

While the Foreign Office maintains that the UK Government reiterates its long-standing view that East Jerusalem is occupied territory, Israel practically decides what can function in East Jerusalem. Without an understanding, the UK would not have the necessary assurances for the security and protections of our staff and premises, leading the UK to temporarily withdraw a number of staff and families to ensure their safety and security. The remaining staff will operate under severe constraints while London evaluates its next moves.

Waiting Out the Israeli Electorate

The immediate future of the British mission is tied directly to domestic politics inside Israel. The UK aims to resume talks with whatever iteration of the Israeli government that emerges after the country’s election later this month and to build its full presence in East Jerusalem back up as soon as possible. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband affirmed that the UK will not take reciprocal action while such discussions are under way and credible, keeping the threat of strong reciprocal measures on the table if discussions with Israel do not prove fruitful, it is understood.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the measures carefully judged, targeted steps that are not aimed at the Israeli people, but at the unacceptable policies of the current Israeli government. As the sign identifying the consulate having been removed, the Foreign Office insisted the UK Mission retained all existing privileges, documentation and its diplomatic status, and had merely been downgraded in name and numbers under a deal with the Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, meanwhile, framed the outcome as a necessary correction to what it views as a series of anti-Israel decisions by the Labour Government.