UK renames East Jerusalem consulate after Israel’s closure order

Britain said Thursday that its consulate in East Jerusalem would continue operating on a reduced basis as the “UK Mission, Jerusalem,” after Israel’s 30-day deadline for closing the nearly 200-year-old diplomatic post expired.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the consulate would formally cease operations but that an agreement would allow some British diplomats to continue working in the building. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain did not accept that Israel had the legal authority to close the consulate, adding that the renamed mission would continue providing services and working with Palestinians.

Earlier Thursday, workers removed plaques identifying the British Consulate General and its consular section, Reuters journalists reported. The British flag remained over the building.

Israel ordered the closure after Britain imposed sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including a ban on imports of goods produced there. Most countries and the United Nations consider the settlements illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes.

The East Jerusalem office has managed British relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza and provided consular services to Palestinians. The order did not affect Britain’s embassy in Tel Aviv, which handles relations with the Israeli government. Britain had sought to prevent the shutdown, including through talks involving its national security adviser.