Could Britain defy Israel’s order to shut down its East Jerusalem consulate?
Could Britain defy Israel’s order to shut down its East Jerusalem consulate? Submitted by - Peter Oborne on Mon, 09/28/2026 - 13:37 Israel announced the closure of the diplomatic mission as part of retaliatory measures following British foreign secretary Ed Miliband’s decision to ban trade with Israeli settlements A man stands outside the British consulate in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem on 8…
Israel has issued an ultimatum for Britain to close its East Jerusalem consulate as part of retaliatory measures following the UK's decision to ban trade with Israeli settlements. The British Consulate in East Jerusalem remains open, but Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has stated that it will close within ten days if Britain does not comply.
Britain is considering whether to defy this Israeli order, with legal opinions suggesting that Israel's assertion of sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful. The British Palestine Project commissioned this legal opinion from former attorney-general Dominic Grieve, who asserts that Israel's actions are unlawful and that the British mission in East Jerusalem does not concede Israeli sovereignty.
Grieve also notes that closing the consulate would harm British consular services and hinder aid oversight. Chris Doyle of the Council for British Arab Understanding urges Britain to defy the Israeli government, emphasizing that the consulate is a vital link to Palestinians in Jerusalem. However, if Britain were to close the consulate, it would likely face harassment and potentially operate under siege conditions, similar to what occurred during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Written by urgent.news from Middle East Eye's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
