UK Jerusalem mission cut to seven diplomats by Israel

Israel said the British consulate in Jerusalem ended its functions on Thursday and that only seven diplomats would be allowed to remain in a limited capacity, while the Palestinian Authority condemned the Israeli measures as illegal.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said 20 diplomats, including the consul general, were ending their missions and leaving the country. He said a “task force of only seven diplomats” would be allowed to operate from the building, but with a very limited scope.

The UK government said the consulate general building would remain open and would be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem. British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband said the mission was “independent, operational” and would keep providing services and working with the Palestinian people.

Miliband said Britain did not accept that Israel had “the legal right” to enforce the closure. He said the UK would work in the coming months to rebuild its presence and would not take reciprocal action while talks with Israel continued and remained credible.

Israel ordered the closure on September 8 in retaliation after Britain and other countries announced sanctions over violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Saar said Thursday's downsizing followed dialogue with Britain aimed at avoiding an escalation, and said the two governments had agreed to continue talks.

Saar also said Israel had implemented other measures announced in September, including expelling British representatives from a centre monitoring the US-brokered ceasefire plan in Gaza, barring British training for Palestinian Authority forces and banning 12 Britons, mostly members of parliament, from visiting.

An AFP photographer saw Thursday that the diplomatic emblem and a plaque had been removed from the consulate facade.

The British consulate in Jerusalem was founded nearly 200 years ago. It was in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed. Israel considers Jerusalem its undivided capital, while most countries, including Britain, do not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the whole city.