Occupied Jerusalem (QNN)- The British consul-general to Palestine is expected to leave occupied Jerusalem in response to Israel’s decision to close the British consulate before Thursday's deadline over the UK’s move to ban trade with Israeli settlements.
Middle East Eye has reported the news, adding that once British diplomats have left occupied Palestine, they will not be able to re-enter without Israeli permission.
The closure of the nearly 200-year-old consulate in East Jerusalem would likely be permanent.
British Consul-General Helen Winterton is expected to work with her team from Amman in the hope of returning to Jerusalem when possible, MEE said, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Last month, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced the order to close the British consulate in retaliation against the UK’s move to ban trade with Israeli settlements. Winterton is set to leave by Thursday, which Saar set as the deadline for the consulate's closure.
The UK has informed Israel that it will expel 27 Israeli diplomats, along with their families, should Israel go ahead with the closure of the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem and the expulsion of its staff, according to Israeli reports.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the government was “looking at all our options” in an interview last week.
Of the prospect of the consulate in East Jerusalem closing, he insisted: “We do not want this to happen - because it would damage the very important work that we are doing helping people in those communities, including Palestinians.”
“The consulate has been there for nearly 200 years, and this is a long-standing position that we have had.”
MEE understands that Britain's decision was being watched closely by other consulates, including France and Spain, which fear they will be next to be forced out if the British quit.
Britain has two diplomatic missions to Israel and Palestine: the embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate to Palestinians, based in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, where Palestinian residents have faced years of threats of eviction and settlement expansion.
Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party, told MEE last week: “East Jerusalem is illegally occupied Palestinian territory, and Israel has no sovereignty over it. The UK must ignore Israel’s order and keep the British Consulate open.”
The Green leader pointed out that the “consulate is also a vital diplomatic link between Britain and Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza”.
He said that “closing it would further isolate Palestinians and weaken Britain’s ability to engage with them directly”.
Britain has made a final attempt to prevent the closure. Three sources told Reuters that National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell made an undisclosed visit to Israel last week and held talks with Israeli officials, but failed to secure an agreement to keep the consulate open. Two of the sources said negotiations were ongoing, though they considered it unlikely that a deal would be reached before Thursday's deadline, while a spokesperson for Sa'ar told the agency that the consulate would close as announced.
In addition to the consulate closure order, Israel expelled the UK from the US-led coordination centre for post-genocide Gaza and barred 11 lawmakers from entering Israel, including former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.
