‘Not the act of a friend’: Israel’s deadline to close UK consulate nears

London, United Kingdom – The deadline Israel imposed on the United Kingdom to close its East Jerusalem consulate is fast approaching.Thursday marks 30 days since Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s order, a retaliatory move against the UK’s wave of sanctions targeting illegal Israeli settlements.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Netanyahu’s fight to own the election narrativelist 2 of 4UK ‘threatens to expel 27 Israeli diplomats’ over Jerusalem consulatelist 3 of 4Pro-Palestine Greens challenge Labour’s grip on Starmer’s former seatlist 4 of 4How Palestinian reporters defied Israel’s genocide to redefine journalismend of list“It’s not the act of a friend or ally,” Sir Vincent Fean, former British consul general to Jerusalem, told Al Jazeera. “The British Consulate General has every right to be in Jerusalem, in East Jerusalem, part of the state of Palestine.”From 2010 until 2014, Fean held the post as the de facto ambassador to occupied Palestinian territory. He is now a trustee of the Britain Palestine Project, advocating for equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis.“In international law, for [the UK], and for the vast majority of the world, Israel does not have th...