The UK’s plan to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has been criticized by the Palestinians as a “blatant breach of international law.”
While at the UN, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss reportedly informed Yair Lapid about the review.
A decision like that would spark intense debate. Outrage spread throughout the Arab world following the US embassy’s inauguration in Jerusalem in 2018.
In a tweet, Mr. Lapid expressed gratitude to Ms. Truss for “positively considering” it.
After the two had met in New York on the outside of the UN General Assembly, he wrote in Hebrew that Ms. Truss was his “dear buddy.”
While confirming that a study is ongoing, Downing Street did not provide a timing estimate.
British officials vowed not to predict the outcome and said Ms. Truss was aware of the delicate nature and significance of the British embassy’s placement in Israel.
In the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one of the most complicated problems is the status of Jerusalem.
The eastern portion of the city is claimed by the Palestinians as the capital of their future state, whereas Israel views the entire city as their unbroken, permanent capital.
Internationally recognized as occupied Palestinian land since 1967, East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip were all taken from Jordan and Egypt by Israel during the Middle East conflict.
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, stated on Twitter that Ms. Truss’ decision to “commit to potentially breaching international law” on her maiden UN address as prime minister was “very terrible.”
Any embassy shift, according to him, would be “a clear violation” of “the UK’s historic duties,” undercutting the two-state solution, which calls for the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, as a resolution to the Israel-Palestinian issue.
Such a commitment is unethical, unlawful, and reckless, he said.
The UK, along with the majority of other nations, has up until this point retained its embassy in Tel Aviv rather than the hotly contested city of Jerusalem, believing that it should only relocate there upon the signing of a definitive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
East Jerusalem is home to a British consulate.
During the most recent Conservative leadership contest, Ms. Truss allegedly floated the notion of moving the embassy.
International criticism followed US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, something he had promised to do throughout his campaign. Additionally, it sparked a violent outburst that saw Israeli soldiers murder hundreds of Palestinians.
Theresa May, the British prime minister, criticized the US move at the time.
Honduras, Guatemala, and Kosovo are the only nations that have subsequently followed Mr. Trump’s lead and moved their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Even though US President Joe Biden has reiterated Washington’s support for a two-state solution, he hasn’t changed his mind about recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
