Should the UK keep its East Jerusalem consulate open despite Israel’s order to close it?
As of 8 October 2026 the UK Consulate General building in East Jerusalem remains open but has been renamed the UK Mission, Jerusalem after Israel ordered its closure in retaliation for UK sanctions on West Bank settlements. Most diplomats including the consul general have left while a reduced team of seven continues limited operations serving Palestinians and supporting a two-state solution. The UK maintains East Jerusalem is occupied territory and disputes Israel's right to order the closure of its nearly 200-year-old mission.
24 Opinions
No, we shouldn't defy the order, and not because a mission is a pathetic thing, (though it is) but because we can't defy the order. Consulates exist with the permission of the local governing authority, which they can withdraw whenever they like. As a punishment for our ridiculous grandstanding, retaining a mission is kinder than we deserve.
We are pretty dependent on Israel for their sharing of information regarding security. This government is really intent on pushing this. Is this to appease a certain voting demographic? If the government want a consulate for Palestinians use ramallah which is less tense however it seems the British government want Israeli security.
We shouldn't ever let Israel dictate terms and the point of consulate is that it is sovereign.
We've spent more of our history poking our noses in and telling others what to do and where has that got us. It's about time we spent more time sorting out our own shit and less time bothering others.
The uk should not be telling other countries what they can and can’t do. Israel told them to leave so they should. They can always open a consulate in Ramallah, but of course they won’t because they know Israel will keep them safe and secure in Jerusalem.
There's an election coming and we should be keeping our position as far as we can to keep contact and hopefully negotiate a better future for all there
No, overseas conflicts should not be our concerns. Times of British Empire are well past us. We should focus on domestic issues, living world policing for a new empires.
NO If they don't want us there, leave them to it. By that I mean stop all dialogue, trade and and any other form of cooperation & support.
We should apologise and ask for the consulate to be reopened, you don’t hurt those countries who are our friends, who help defend us and produce the items we need. Shooting yourself in the foot is a typical socialist trait . Supporting terrorists is an abomination
Let's not remove more scrutiny from Israel