British diplomats in Jerusalem will no longer engage with the Palestinian Authority or provide consular services under an agreement between Israel and the UK, the JC understands.
The move is part of an agreement officially announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Wednesday morning, under which the UK will retain a reduced diplomatic presence in Jerusalem, in what is being seen as a step back from the brink after a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries.
Israel had ordered the closure of the British Consulate in Jerusalem as part of a series of countermeasures in retaliation for UK sanctions on Israeli settlements. There had been rumours that Britain would respond by expelling Israeli diplomats from their country's embassy in London.
However, Miliband confirmed that the consulate, which predates the establishment of the State of Israel, would remain open under a new name, the UK Mission, Jerusalem, with fewer staff.
“Following discussions with the Government of Israel, our Consulate General building will not be closing, and will be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem from today,” he said.
“The UK Mission, Jerusalem is independent, operational, and will continue to deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people. This will ensure that we maintain our longstanding British presence and the UK's role in support of a two-state solution.”
He added that the UK “will not take reciprocal action while such discussions are underway and credible”.
Miliband defended Britain's measures targeting Israeli settlements, saying they were necessary “in support of a two-state solution to deliver peace and security for the people of Israel and Palestine”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, however, said his country had established a clear principle: “It is not possible to act against Israel without Israel taking appropriate measures in response.”
Israel's countermeasures included removing British representatives from the International Gaza Support Centre in Kiryat Gat, ending British involvement in training Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank and barring 12 British elected officials and other British citizens accused of antisemitic or anti-Israel activity from entering the country.
Israel had also announced the immediate closure of the British Consulate in Jerusalem, removing its sign from the building.
Sa’ar said he had not wanted relations between the two countries to reach their current low point, “but the actions of the UK Labour Government brought us here”.
In a post on X, he condemned what he described as “far-reaching sanctions against the communities in Judea and Samaria, as well as additional sanctions on defence exports to Israel”, accompanied by “hostile rhetoric” and accusations of “ethnic cleansing”.
He also criticised a series of measures taken by Labour since coming to power in July 2024, including a partial arms embargo, Britain's recognition of a Palestinian state in September 2025 and the restoration of funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency Unrwa.
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