Britain confirms its work and renames its consulate in Jerusalem to the United Kingdom mission

Jerusalem - - Ofoq News - Britain announced today, Thursday, the renaming of its Consulate General in Jerusalem to the “United Kingdom Mission in Jerusalem,” while confirming the continuation of its diplomatic presence in the city, coinciding with the expiration of the Israeli deadline to close the consulate.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said in a press statement published on the British Foreign Ministry's website this morning that his country does not accept the legal basis on which Israel relies in its decision to close the consulate, stressing that the United Kingdom adheres to its position on the status of East Jerusalem as occupied territory, and the necessity of maintaining its diplomatic presence and services provided to the Palestinians.

The British move came after an Israeli decision issued last September to close the consulate within 30 days, in response to British measures that included banning trade in goods coming from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, in addition to settlement-related sanctions.

London confirmed that its presence in Jerusalem will continue through the new mission, which will continue to work with the Palestinians, within the framework of British policy in support of the two-state solution. The consulate played a role in British relations with the Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in addition to providing consular services.

On the other hand, it was reported that the settlement reached between the two sides included reducing the number of British diplomats working in Jerusalem, while a number of employees and their families left, in light of the continuing dispute over the legal status of the consulate and the decision to close it.

On the ground, the banners bearing the name “British Consulate General” and the consular section were removed from the consulate building in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem today, while the British flag remained raised above the building, in an indication of the continued British presence there under the new name.

This comes amid escalating tension in British-Israeli relations, against the backdrop of British positions on Israeli settlement in the West Bank, as London confirmed that expanding settlements undermines the chances of establishing a Palestinian state and a two-state solution.