UK to make last-ditch effort to stop Israel closing East Jerusalem consulate

The UK government is making a last‑ditch effort to prevent Israel from closing its consulate in East Jerusalem this week. Israel announced in September that it would shut the mission, which operates separately from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv, in retaliation for the UK’s announcement of sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. British sanctions will prohibit settlement goods and also target companies and individuals providing services for settlement expansion. The Foreign Office said it would not comment on “speculation and unrecorded discussions” that the UK could expel Israeli diplomats in response. Israeli officials said the consulate would close within 30 days of the UK sanctions announcement, meaning that the mission – first established in 1838 – is set to shut on Thursday unless a deal is reached. The consulate handles UK relations with Palestinians in the city as well as in the West Bank and Gaza. UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell made an undisclosed visit to Israel last week for talks but left without reaching an agreement. According to Israeli media, the UK is threatening to expel up to 27 Israeli diplomats if the closure proceeds. Such a tit‑for‑tat expulsion of diplomats is more common among adversaries than allies. France and Canada joined the UK in the initial sanctions, but Israel has not taken action against them. Emily Thornberry, chair of the overseas affairs committee, said: “Beyond the fact that the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem – occupied Palestinian territory – is not in Israel's prerogative, it is yet another effort by this far‑right Israeli government to undermine a two‑state solution.” She added: “It is illegal, and the UK must defy it.” Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has previously said that they do not want the consulate to close. “It would harm the very important work that we are doing, helping people in those communities,” he said last month.