The diplomatic rift began after Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband imposed sanctions on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to brand the British government a rogue state. National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell conducted an undisclosed secret mission to Jerusalem last week to negotiate the agreement and prevent a full shutdown of the site, which predates the state of Israel by nearly 200 years. Meanwhile, Israeli banks have reportedly grown anxious over the potential impact of the UK's trade restrictions on their settlement expansion financing.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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UK Keeps 7 Person Mission in Jerusalem to Avoid Expelling 27 Israeli Diplomats
Geopolitics13 days ago
The signs identifying the British Consulate in East Jerusalem were taken down on Thursday as the facility transitioned into a limited diplomatic mission. Under a deal between London and Israel, the consulate concluded its standard operations and was renamed the British Mission, Jerusalem. The Consul General and 20 diplomats are leaving the country, leaving behind a 7 member task force to operate within the British owned building with a reduced scope of activity. In exchange for maintaining this minimal presence, the UK will not expel 27 Israeli diplomats and their families from Britain, as it had previously threatened.
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