# Britain downgrades Jerusalem consulate after Israel retaliates

> Israel has forced out 20 British diplomats and removed the consulate's signage in response to UK sanctions on illegal settlements, but Britain says it will maintain a reduced presence.
- Title: Britain downgrades Jerusalem consulate after Israel retaliates
- Summary: Israel has forced out 20 British diplomats and removed the consulate's signage in response to UK sanctions on illegal settlements, but Britain says it will…
- Keywords: israel, united kingdom, east jerusalem, consulate closure, illegal settlements, diplomatic relations, west bank, two-state solution, ed miliband, gideon saar, news, world
- Source: Al Jazeera — https://aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/8/has-israel-shut-the-uk-consulate-in-east-jerusalem-or-downgraded?traffic_source=rss
- Author: Al Jazeera Staff
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: israel, united kingdom, east jerusalem, consulate closure, illegal settlements, diplomatic relations, west bank, two-state solution, ed miliband, gideon saar, news, world
## Britain says consulate will stay open
The British government said it will retain its presence in occupied East Jerusalem after Israel removed the consulate's signage amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two countries.
## Israel orders 20 British diplomats to leave
Israel announced that twenty British diplomats, including the consul general, would have to leave the country and return home as part of its response to British government actions.
## Consulate downgraded to mission status
Britain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the consulate building would remain but would be downgraded to the UK Mission, Jerusalem, with a reduced staff of seven diplomats.
## Britain banned trade with illegal settlements
The Israeli government's decision to close the consulate followed Miliband's announcement last month that Britain would ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
## Israel outlines four retaliatory steps
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced four steps against the UK: removing British representatives from the International Assistance Centre for Gaza, ending British training of Palestinian Authority forces, closing the consulate, and preventing entry of twelve elected officials and other British citizens.
## Saar says Britain forced Israel's hand
Saar wrote that Israel did not want to take these steps but that the sanctions and hostile rhetoric of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians forced their hand against the British government.

> We did not want to come to this, but the actions of the Labour government led us here.
## Britain rejects the closure decision
Miliband said the British government did not accept Israel's decision to close the consulate, which has operated for nearly two hundred years, and reiterated that East Jerusalem is occupied territory.
## Britain temporarily withdrew staff for safety
Miliband said the UK had temporarily withdrawn staff and families to ensure their safety and security, but would work in coming months to build back up its presence without taking reciprocal action.

> Without an understanding, we would not have the necessary assurances for the security and protections of our staff and premises.
## Britain stands by September sanctions
Miliband said the UK stands steadfast by the measures it took on September 8 in concert with the international community in support of a two-state solution to deliver peace and security for both peoples.
## Israel lacks legal right to close consulate
As the British consulate is in a part of Jerusalem that Israel captured in the nineteen sixty-seven war and has occupied ever since, Israel does not have the legal right to close the mission.
## Israel controls what functions in East Jerusalem
However, due to Israel's ongoing occupation of the Palestinian territories, it practically decides what can function in East Jerusalem, giving it effective control despite lacking legal authority.
## Key takeaway

Israel closed the British consulate in East Jerusalem and expelled twenty diplomats after Britain banned trade with illegal Israeli settlements, though Britain says it will keep a downgraded mission there.