Israel downgrades U.K. Consulate in East Jerusalem over settler sanctions

Israel downgrades U.K. Consulate in East Jerusalem over settler sanctions - The Washington Post

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Israel downgrades U.K. Consulate in East Jerusalem over settler sanctions

Last-minute negotiations staved off a full closure of the office that handles Britain’s relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

October 8, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. EDTToday at 9:00 a.m. EDT

2 min

*The British Consulate in East Jerusalem will become a "mission" with a smaller staff. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)*

By Steve Hendrix

LONDON — Israel downgraded Britain’s 188-year-old consulate in East Jerusalem on Thursday, expelling 20 diplomats and scaling back services to Palestinians, but stopped short of closing the facility entirely after last-minute negotiations.

Israel had ordered the consulate closed last month in retaliation for British sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which most countries consider illegal under international law. The consulate handles Britain’s relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, separate from its embassy in Tel Aviv.

The consulate will become a “U.K. mission,” lacking a consulate general but still operating with a smaller staff.

“The UK Mission, Jerusalem is independent, operational, and will continue to deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people,” Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said in a statement.

The compromise heads off what could have been a major escalation in the diplomatic row, amid reports that the U.K. could in turn expel Israeli officials from London.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar blamed the souring relations on Britain’s Labour government, which has condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza, placed sanctions on settlers and recognized a Palestinian state.

Miliband said last month that expanding settlements in the West Bank amounted to “ethnic cleansing.”

“We did not want to reach this point, but the actions of the Labour government brought us here,” Saar said on X.

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What readers are saying

The comments express strong criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank, particularly under Netanyahu's leadership, accusing the country of committing war crimes and engaging in apartheid-like practices. Many commenters praise the UK for taking a stand against these... Show more

This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.

By Steve Hendrix

Steve Hendrix is a London-based foreign correspondent-at-large. He came to the UK as London bureau chief in 2025 after five years as bureau chief in Jerusalem. At the Post since 2000, he has written for most sections of the paper and reported from the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and most corners of the United States.follow on X@SBHendrix

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