Israel shuts down British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem
The British government says it will retain its presence in occupied East Jerusalem after Israel removed its consulate.
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British consulate in East Jerusalem will stay open as UK mission, says Ed Miliband
UK and Israel back away from full diplomatic confrontation, though British presence in Palestine will be much reducedIsrael and the UK have backed away from a full-scale diplomatic confrontation, with Britain announcing it is rebranding its consulate general building in East Jerusalem as a UK mission, a move that will result in UK diplomats leaving Israel, with only seven to remain in the building. Among those leaving is the consul general, Helen Winterton.The change was forced on the UK by the Israeli government as punishment for the decision by the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, last month to ban trade with illegal settlements and introduce a tougher sanctions regime against those who aided the building of settlements. The UK is seeking to protect the two-state solution as the best means of ending the Israel-Palestine conflict. Continue reading...
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editorForeign policyPalestine
