Most British diplomats have left the UK consulate in occupied East Jerusalem after Israel declared the facility closed, but the UK government insists the building "will not be closing" and will continue to operate under a new name.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Thursday that measures first declared on 8 September had been implemented. "The British Consulate in Jerusalem is closing its operations today. Accordingly, the sign of the British Consulate in Jerusalem has been removed," he wrote on social media.
Despite the announcement, the British flag remained visible outside the building on Thursday morning, and several staff were seen entering.
Saar said talks with the UK government had produced agreement on certain principles. Under the arrangement, "the consul general and 20 diplomats (including the consul general) are ending their duties and will leave Israel." He added that Israel had authorised "a task force of only seven diplomats with a very limited scope of activity" to remain in the building, which he acknowledged is "the property of the British government."
"We did not want it to come to this," Saar wrote.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband pushed back on Israel's characterisation of events. He said the building "will not be closing" and announced it would be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem from Thursday.
Miliband said staff had been "temporarily withdrawn" solely for security reasons, after no understanding had been reached on "necessary assurances for the security and protections of our staff and premises." He added: "Accordingly the UK has temporarily withdrawn a number of staff and families to ensure their safety and security."
The Foreign Office said the seven diplomats remaining in the building would be "independent and operational" and continue to deliver vital services, a characterisation that conflicts with Israel's position that they will operate with "only a limited scope of activity."
Miliband also reiterated the UK's position on the broader dispute. "The UK government reiterates its long-standing view that East Jerusalem is occupied territory," he wrote in a statement, adding that he continued to insist Israel has no legal right to close the consulate.
Sources within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office described the outcome as a "good outcome," noting that the entire operation had not been shut down as had been threatened. They said maintaining a UK presence would help rebuild the mission in the future.
Israel announced in September that it would shut the consulate within 30 days of the UK imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Those settlements are considered illegal under international law. The UK government made last-ditch efforts to persuade Israel to reverse course ahead of Thursday's deadline.
The consulate handles UK relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. It is separate from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv, which serves as the main British diplomatic hub with Israel.
Reports had suggested the UK threatened to expel Israeli diplomats from London, raising the prospect of a sharper deterioration in bilateral relations. Saar's statement appeared to address that concern directly, saying that as a result of the agreement, "no steps will be taken against Israel."
Miliband made clear the UK reserved the right to take what he called "reciprocal action," but said he would not act while "discussions are under way and credible."
