British consulate in East Jerusalem will stay open as UK mission, says Ed Miliband
Summary
The British consulate in East Jerusalem will remain open but will be renamed as a UK mission serving the Palestinian people. The UK government will not take reciprocal action against Israel after Israel ordered the consulate’s closure in response to UK sanctions on West Bank settlements.Key Facts
- The British consulate in East Jerusalem will stay open and be called a UK mission.
- The consulate serves Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
- Israel ordered the consulate to close because the UK planned sanctions on products from West Bank settlements.
- The UK withdrew some staff recently but plans to increase its presence.
- The UK will not expel Israeli diplomats during ongoing talks between the two countries.
- The UK, along with France, Canada, and the Netherlands, banned trade from illegal Israeli settlements.
- Israel has reacted strongly to these bans, including revoking Dutch diplomats’ credentials.
- UK-Israeli relations worsened after Hamas’s attacks on Israelis and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
- The UK has canceled many arms export licenses to Israel and mentioned possible war crimes in Gaza.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
