UK renames Jerusalem consulate as UK Mission after Israel staff cuts

The U.K. and Israel reached a compromise on Thursday allowing Britain’s nearly 200-year-old consulate in East Jerusalem to remain open under a new name and with a significantly reduced staff, following a dispute over British sanctions CBS News. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced that the facility would be renamed the UK Mission, Jerusalem after Israel removed the signage of its consulate amid deteriorating diplomatic relations Al Jazeera.

Retaliatory Measures and Diplomatic Fallout

The removal of the consulate signage followed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s announcement that 20 British diplomats, including the consul general, would have to leave the country Al Jazeera. In addition to closing the consulate The Jerusalem Post, Israel’s four retaliatory steps included removing British representatives from the International Assistance Centre for Gaza, ending British training for Palestinian Authority forces in the occupied West Bank, and preventing entry for 12 elected officials and other British citizens involved in anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli activity Al Jazeera.

The West Bank Sanctions Precedent

The diplomatic crisis stems from an announcement made by Miliband on September 8 Al Jazeera, when Britain instituted a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and targeted companies and individuals facilitating settlement expansion CBS News. Miliband described those measures as the beginning of a new approach CBS News to the conflict, stating at the time that the British government agreed that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank – perpetrated by settler terrorists The Independent.

Miliband Pledges to Rebuild Diplomatic Presence

While Israel has allowed the British government to operate a task force of seven diplomats in the building with a very limited scope of activity Al Jazeera, Miliband asserted that the newly named mission remains independent and operational Al Jazeera. Miliband noted that Britain has temporarily withdrawn a number of staff and families for security reasons Al Jazeera, but pledged to rebuild the diplomatic presence in the coming months while ruling out retaliatory measures CBS News as long as credible discussions continue Al Jazeera.