According to the South China Morning Post, Britain said that the Jerusalem consulate, described as nearly two centuries old, would remain operational on a reduced scale and be renamed “UK Mission.”
The British version does not coincide with the Israeli one. India Today and The New Indian Express report that Israel has declared the British Consulate in eastern Jerusalem to have ceased operations.
Regarding the context of the decision, the South China Morning Post reports that Israel allegedly ordered Britain to close the consulate and set a 30-day deadline. The same report links the dispute to Britain’s announcement of sanctions against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The deadline and the transition to the new structure are not, however, described in the same way by the sources: on one side is the British position that operations will continue on a reduced basis, and on the other is the Israeli position that the consulate has ceased to function.
The New Indian Express also reports that Israel said 20 diplomats had left the premises. The available information does not identify the individuals involved or provide independent verification of the number.
According to the South China Morning Post, the dispute has strained relations between Britain and Israel. The available material does not specify which sanctions London announced beyond the reference to settlements in the occupied West Bank.
It therefore remains unclear, based on the available reports, whether the change should be regarded as the closure of the consulate or its continuation in a reduced form as the “UK Mission”: the two descriptions are attributed to Israel and Britain, respectively.