British Foreign Secretary Miliband has said that the building housing the UK consulate in East Jerusalem will remain in place, but will be known as the “UK Mission, Jerusalem”.
The statement indicates that Britain is retaining its premises in the city while changing the mission’s formal name. Based on the information available, it does not establish that the building itself has been shut.
The question of whether the move amounts to a closure or a downgrade turns on the mission’s diplomatic status and functions, details that were not set out in the reported statement. The name change nevertheless marks a clear alteration in how the UK presence is described.
According to Al Jazeera, Miliband confirmed the building would continue to operate as the UK Mission, Jerusalem.