Has Israel shut the UK consulate in East Jerusalem – or downgraded it?

The British government has said it will retain its presence in occupied East Jerusalem after Israel removed the signage of its consulate amid deteriorating diplomatic relations.The removal of the signage comes as Israel announced that 20 British diplomats, including the consul general, would have to leave the country and return home.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2The Hormuz bonus: Sailor salaries soar for transits amid Iran warlist 2 of 2India to Turkiye, can new proposals to broker Russia-Ukraine truce succeed?end of listBritain’s Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, said on Thursday that the consulate building would remain but would be downgraded to the “UK Mission, Jerusalem”.The Israeli government’s decision to close the consulate followed Miliband’s announcement last month that Britain would ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.Here’s what we know:What did Israel say about shutting the consulate?In a post on X, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar reiterated on Thursday morning that “no action can be taken against Israel without Israel taking appropriate retaliatory measures”.In retaliation for the sanctions on the occupied West Bank s...