UK to make last-ditch effort to stop Israel closing East Jerusalem consulate
Israel has threatened to close the consulate, which handles UK relations with Palestinians in the city, over British sanctions on Israeli settlements.
UK makes last-minute bid to prevent Israel from shutting East Jerusalem consulate
The UK government is mounting a last-minute effort to convince Israel not to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem later this week.
In September, Israel said it would shut the mission, which is separate from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv, in response to the UK’s announcement of sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The British sanctions will prohibit settlement goods and also target companies and individuals that provide services for settlement expansion.
The Foreign Office said it would not comment on "speculation and live discussions" about whether the UK could expel Israeli diplomats in reply.
The Israeli government said it would close the mission within 30 days of the UK sanctions announcement, meaning the mission - first established in 1838 - will shut on Thursday unless an agreement is reached.
The consulate manages UK relations with Palestinians in the city, as well as in the West Bank and Gaza.
UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell made an undisclosed trip to Israel last week for talks, but apparently left without securing a deal.
According to Israeli media, the UK is threatening to expel as many as 27 Israeli diplomats if the closure goes ahead.
That kind of tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats is more typical between adversaries than allies.
France and Canada joined the UK in the initial sanctions, but Israel has not taken any action against them.
Emily Thornberry, chair of the foreign affairs committee, said: "Beyond the fact that the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem - occupied Palestinian territory - is not in Israel's prerogative, it is yet another attempt by this far-right Israeli government to block a two-state solution."
She added: "It is illegal, and the UK must resist it."
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has previously said they do not want the consulate to close.
"It would damage the very important work that we are doing, helping people in those communities," he said last month.