The huge leap forward in terms of the UK taking a more principled and assertive stance toward Israel and Palestine witnessed in September suffered a partial reverse in early October. The UK and Israel concocted what can at best be described as a fudged deal over the future of the British Consulate in Jerusalem.
This arose following the retaliatory measures announced by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in response to the pledged UK sanctions on settlements and arms that his counterpart Ed Miliband announced on Sept. 8. Saar pledged three actions in addition to banning 11 British members of Parliament.
The common factor in Saar’s measures was that the penalties would ultimately be paid by Palestinians. Kicking Britain out of the International Gaza Support Center reduces international oversight of Israeli crimes in Gaza. Ending the UK training program for the Palestinian Authority does likewise. But arguably the most serious was the pledge to close the British Consulate within 30 days, a deadline that expired last week.
This represents a blatant attempt to weaken and reduce the Palestinian connection to the city, a strategic aim of every Israeli government in history but in particular the current coalition, which aside from being the most extreme historically is also fighting for its political survival, with an election scheduled for Oct. 27. It fits into the Israeli strategy of denying international access to Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem. Its leaders know they have plenty to hide.
The deal sees the consulate, which was founded in 1839, renamed the “UK Mission, Jerusalem.” The consul general will be among those departing as the mission will have a highly reduced staff of just seven diplomats.
Israel claims it has hit British interests. Saar boasted: “We established a clear principle: It is not possible to act against Israel without Israel taking appropriate measures in response.”
If UK ministers wanted proof of illegal Israeli actions, the view from the mission supplies ample evidence
Chris Doyle
The British government can assert that it has ensured that Israel did not close the diplomatic premises, so an important legal principle was maintained. Miliband put a brave face on the British climbdown. “We have been clear that we do not accept that the government of Israel has the legal right to close the British Consulate General in Jerusalem,” he said.
Questions remain. Exactly how much activity will the revamped and shrunken mission be allowed to carry out? Israeli authorities will be watching closely. We do not know what was agreed behind the scenes. Miliband claimed that the mission will “deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people,” but this does not accord with Israeli statements.
Seven other states still have consulates in East Jerusalem. They will need to work together to fight any threat to their presence. Israel has not yet closed any other consulates, suggesting it holds London responsible for the recent measures 11 other states have promised to take.
Sources within the British Foreign Office told me that the threat of expelling Israeli diplomats had a significant impact on the Israeli authorities. The plan was to expel an equal number of Israeli diplomats from the UK, which could have been as many as 27.
The threat is left hanging. Miliband said: “We will work in the coming months to build back up our presence and we will not take reciprocal action while such discussions are underway and credible.” It appears like this is kicking the hand grenade down the road until after the Israeli elections.
If UK ministers wanted proof of illegal Israeli actions, the view from the mission supplies ample evidence. In the valley below in Shaikh Jarrah, a settler movement has been busy for years in taking over Palestinian homes. Families have been forced out or even made to share buildings with extremist settlers. One project includes building a huge yeshiva at the entrance to the neighborhood.
This is a totally unwarranted action by Israel. What it should be doing is ending its flagrant breaches of international law and realizing that its conduct has compelled major states to take action to end these violations.
Israel is expelling diplomats from territory it has unlawfully occupied for nearly 60 years. It is not the sovereign power
Chris Doyle
The UK acted legally in support of international law; Israel continues to act in flagrant violation of international law and responded to legitimate international actions with further unlawful measures. Israel is expelling diplomats from territory it has unlawfully occupied for nearly 60 years. It is not the sovereign power.
Take the precedent of Kuwait. In 1990, the Iraqi regime wanted to close the British Embassy in occupied Kuwait but the UK kept it open, with its diplomatic staff even reduced to drinking from the swimming pool. The 2026 British government requires that sort of resolve.
What many international leaders have yet to realize is that Israel acts as a bully. The Burnham government blinked. It needed to stand up to the pressure. The challenge is to ensure not just that this is a one-off error of judgment but that it is reversed in weeks, not months. As importantly, the UK and others should be looking to tighten, not loosen, sanctions and to demonstrate their strength and commitment to addressing war crimes, not weakness and disunity.
Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in London. X: @Doylech
Chris Doyle is director of the London-based Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU). He has worked with the council since 1993 after graduating with a first class honors degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Exeter University. He has organized and accompanied numerous British parliamentary delegations to Arab countries. Twitter: @Doylech