Britain has announced it is closing its consulate in occupied East Jerusalem and downgrading its building to the status of a mission, ignoring calls to defy Israel‘s orders.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar gave considerably different messages in separate statements issued on Thursday morning, the deadline Israel had set for Britain to close its consulate.

Miliband said the UK would not retaliate against Israel over the closure but would work to “build back up” its diplomatic presence in East Jerusalem.

Saar declared: “The British Consulate in Jerusalem is ending its operations today. Accordingly, the sign of the British Consulate in Jerusalem has been removed.”

He said that on Wednesday night the Israeli government had reached an understanding with the UK: “The building that served as the Consulate is the property of the British Government.

“We have allowed the British Government to operate a task force of only seven diplomats from the building, which ceased to function as a consulate today. Their scope of activity will be very limited.”

In his own statement, Miliband said: “We have been clear that we do not accept that the Government of Israel has the legal right to close the British Consulate General in Jerusalem, which has been there for nearly 200 years.”

He added that the UK “reiterates” its view that East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory. Significantly, the UK last month recognised Israel’s occupation as illegal.

Miliband said “our Consulate General building will not be closing, and will be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem from today.”

He insisted the mission “is independent, operational, and will continue to deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people”.

The foreign secretary further said “the UK has temporarily withdrawn a number of staff and families to ensure their safety and security.”

A less strident approach

Middle East Eye revealed on Wednesday that the British consul-general to Palestine, Helen Winterton, was expected to leave Jerusalem, but that a “skeleton crew” might remain at the consulate.

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Saar announced the order to close the British consulate last month in retaliation against the UK’s move to ban trade with Israeli settlements.

The announcements on Thursday come after the British government faced calls – including from Emily Thornberry, chair of parliament’s influential Foreign Affairs Committee – to defy Israel and refuse to close the consulate.

Israeli media reported earlier this week that Britain was preparing to expel Israeli diplomats and their families from London in retaliation for the closure.

Instead the UK has ultimately opted to take a significantly less strident approach.

MEE understands that Britain’s decision was being watched closely by other consulates, including France and Spain, which fear they will be next to be forced out if the British quit.

Britain has two diplomatic missions to Israel and Palestine: the embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate for Palestinians, based in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, where residents have faced years of threats of eviction and settlement expansion.

Many Palestinians have told MEE of the importance of the work of the British consulate in providing witness to human rights abuses and reporting them back to London in a way that the British embassy in Tel Aviv cannot.