Israel says British Consulate in east Jerusalem has ceased to function

Israel has sharply reduced the British mission's role in east Jerusalem and ordered 20 staff to leave. Britain will keep a smaller team there, underscoring a deepening rift over settlements and Palestinian ties.Image used for representational purposes onlyJerusalem,Oct 8, 2026 14:24 ISTIsrael said on Thursday that the British Consulate in east Jerusalem had "ceased to function" in that capacity and that 20 British staffers, including the consul general, would leave the country. Britain said the building would remain open under a new name and continue its work, in the latest sign of what has become the biggest diplomatic strain between the close allies in decades.The dispute follows Britain's decision last month to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Britain said it would not retaliate by expelling Israeli diplomats for now, as it is in talks with Israel on rebuilding its staff presence at the mission. The sign outside the consulate has been taken down.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, "Israel will no longer turn its cheek to diplomatic attacks against it," adding that the building would continue to operate with a "task force" of seven diplomats and a "very limited" scope of activity. Israel said 20 British diplomats would leave the country, including the consul general.British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the building "will be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem" after discussions with Israel's government, and that a small team of diplomats would continue to work there. "This will ensure that we maintain our longstanding British presence and the UK's role in support of a two-state solution," Miliband said. Britain had threatened to expel Israeli diplomats if the consulate was closed, but said it would not do so at this stage because it is discussing with Israel an increase in the UK's presence at the mission. "We will work in the coming months to build back up our presence," Miliband said.Middle East Minister Stephen Doughty told Times Radio that British diplomats would still be able to carry out "their important work in relation to, for example, relations with the Palestinians, but also supporting British nationals visiting the area". Britain also said the building would continue to deliver "vital services" and work with Palestinians. Miliband said Britain does "not accept that the government of Israel has the legal right to close the British Consulate General in Jerusalem, which has been there for nearly 200 years". He also said the UK government continues to hold the view that east Jerusalem "is occupied territory".The row began after Britain banned trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The United Nations and much of the international community consider all settlements illegal. Israel captured the West Bank, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, in the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians want those territories for a future state.Since then, Israel has built scores of settlements that are home to well over 500,000 Jewish settlers, with many resembling fully developed suburbs. The current government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views the West Bank as the biblical and historical homeland of the Jewish people and sees the settlements as key to maintaining security.In sum, Israel has moved to sharply reduce the role of the British mission in east Jerusalem, while Britain has said it will keep a smaller team in place under the name UK Mission, Jerusalem, continue work with Palestinians and British nationals, and avoid immediate retaliation as talks continue.With PTI Inputs- Ends