Israel Says Britain's East Jerusalem Consulate Is Closing — The UK Says It Absolutely Is Not

Israel says the British consulate in East Jerusalem is closing today. Britain says it isn't. Both can't be fully right, so here's what's actually going on.

What Happened

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on social media that the consulate is "closing its operations", and that the sign outside had been removed, according to BBC News. He said the consul general and 20 diplomats would leave Israel, while a task force of seven could stay in the building with "a very limited scope of activity".

The UK has a very different reading. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the building "will not be closing" and will now operate as the UK Mission, Jerusalem. Sky News also reports the consulate is being rebranded under that name.

BBC reporters noted that the British flag was still flying outside on Thursday morning, and staff were seen going in.

Why Is This Happening?

This is retaliation. Israel said in September it would shut the consulate after the UK imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law, BBC News reports. Israel set a 30-day deadline from the sanctions announcement, and that deadline landed today.

The consulate dates back to 1838. It handles UK relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. It is separate from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv, which is the main diplomatic hub for dealings with Israel.

The Tea

• Israel says the consulate is closing and 21 people, including the consul general, are leaving.
• The UK says some staff have been "temporarily withdrawn" for security reasons and the mission will continue.
• Seven UK diplomats remain, and the Foreign Office says they will be "independent and operational".

Two Versions Of The Same Deal

The two governments are describing the same arrangement in very different terms, and that is part of the story.

Saar said talks with the UK produced agreement on certain principles, and that as a result "no steps will be taken against Israel". Israeli media had reported that the UK threatened to expel Israeli diplomats from London if the consulate was shut, per BBC.

Miliband said the UK still believes Israel has no legal right to close the consulate, and restated the UK's long-standing view that East Jerusalem is occupied territory. He also said no understanding had been reached on "necessary assurances for the security and protections of our staff and premises", which is why staff and families were pulled out.

BBC's diplomatic correspondents describe the outcome as a compromise of sorts that, for now, takes the heat out of a dispute that could have worsened UK-Israel relations. Foreign Office sources called it a "good outcome" because the whole operation isn't closing, and said keeping a presence would help rebuild the mission in future.

What Happens Next

Miliband said the UK reserves the right to take "reciprocal action", but won't while discussions are "under way and credible". BBC notes that means any UK retaliation is unlikely before Israel's elections later this month.

The open questions are how much the remaining seven can actually do, and whether the security assurances Miliband wants ever arrive.

Is this a sensible compromise or just two governments claiming a win? Tell us what you think below.

Sources: BBC News | Sky News