Former attorney general Dominic Grieve has advised the UK Foreign Office that Israel has no legal right to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem, which Israel plans to shut on 8 October, the Guardian has reported.
Key facts
- Former attorney general Dominic Grieve advised the Foreign Office that Israel has no legal right to close the UK consulate in East Jerusalem, according to the Guardian.
- Israel says it intends to shut the consulate on 8 October, the Guardian reported.
- The move is described as a response to a UK ban on trade with goods from Israeli settlements.
- The trade ban was announced this month by the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, according to the report.
- The consulate is located in occupied Palestinian territory, according to the report.
Israel does not have a legal right to act on its plan to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem, according to advice given to the UK Foreign Office by the former attorney general Dominic Grieve, the Guardian reported.
Grieve advised that Israel is not entitled to shut the mission, which is located in occupied Palestinian territory. His assessment challenges the legal basis of Israel’s stated intention to close the consulate.
Israel has said it intends to shut the consulate on 8 October, according to the Guardian. The planned closure is a response to measures recently taken by the UK government, the report said.
The trigger, according to the report, is a sweeping ban on trade with goods from Israeli settlements. That ban was announced this month by the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, the Guardian reported.
The dispute places a spotlight on the UK’s diplomatic presence in Jerusalem and the wider tensions between the two governments over trade with Israeli settlements. Further details on the Foreign Office’s response were not provided in the source. Israel’s response to Grieve’s advice was not reported.
Why it matters
The status of the UK consulate in East Jerusalem touches on sensitive questions of international law and the UK's diplomatic footing in occupied Palestinian territory. A move to close the mission could escalate tensions between London and Israel following the UK's settlement trade ban.
Frequently asked questions
When does Israel plan to close the UK consulate?
Israel has said it intends to shut the consulate on 8 October, according to the Guardian.
Why does Israel want to close the consulate?
The report says the planned closure is in response to a sweeping UK ban on trade with goods from Israeli settlements, announced this month by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.
Who advised that Israel cannot legally close the consulate?
Former attorney general Dominic Grieve advised the UK Foreign Office that Israel does not have a legal right to shut the mission in occupied Palestinian territory.