Israel downgrades U.K. Jerusalem consulate after sanctions on West Bank

The British Consulate in Jerusalem has been downgraded and will now be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem. According to the National Post, it will operate from the same building with a smaller staff. The move comes after the UK imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which Israel considers a retaliatory measure.

The change follows a threat by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to shutter the consulate. The UK government has rejected the notion that the consulate has been closed, with British Foreign Secretary Miliband stating that the consulate building would remain but with a new designation, as reported by Al Jazeera. Most British diplomats are leaving the consulate, but the historic site will remain open.

The downgrade has sparked calls from right-wing organizations in Israel for similar action to be taken against France's Consulate General in Jerusalem, according to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News. The crisis has strained relations between the UK and Israel, with intense negotiations averting a complete diplomatic rupture, as reported by GBC Ghana.

Brief written by urgent.news from National Post, Jerusalem Post, Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, Al Jazeera, GBC Ghana — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.