by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has apparently rejected plans to move Britain’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite previously backing its recognition.
Prime Minister Sunak’s short-lived predecessor as prime minister, Liz Truss, said she would “consider a move” of the British embassy in Israel during her Conservative Party leadership campaign in August, following in the footsteps of President Donald Trump.
While the state of Israel officially considers Jerusalem its capital, and key institutions such as the Knesset (legislature), the Supreme Court, the central bank and many government ministries are located there, mainly in the neighborhood of Givat Ram, most Western countries they do not recognize and their embassies move to the city from bases in Tel Aviv in order to appease the Palestinian Authority and various Islamic policies.
Sunak, who lost out to Liz Truss in the Tory leadership race but was installed by fellow MPs shortly afterwards without an election anyway, appears unlikely to reverse that trend, with a Downing Street spokesman saying a move had been “considered but there are no longer plans to move the British embassy”, according to the left wing Guardian.
The Palestinian Authority marked the 20th anniversary of a deadly attack on Jerusalem’s Hebrew University by increasing its monthly payments to the terrorists responsible, a media watchdog said. https://t.co/z8JT80IhSw
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) August 1, 2022
This is despite the fact that, while running for leadership in August, Sunak claimed he believed Jerusalem was “undoubtedly the historical capital” of Israel and that there was “clearly” a “very strong case for it to be recognized” as such.
“[I]it’s something I’d like to do,” he added.
The fact that it apparently won’t be welcomed by Husam Said Zomlot, head of the Palestinian mission in the UK.
“We would like to thank the UK government, faith leaders, activists and members of the public whose efforts have helped to keep the UK in line with international law on this issue,” Zomlot said.
“The question about the location of the UK embassy should never have been raised in the first place.”
Sunak’s collapse follows an even more dramatic picture of Australia’s relatively new left-wing government reversing a decision to even recognize West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital – East Jerusalem, only annexed by Israel in 1980, was not part of the recognition – earlier this month, worsening relations with the Israeli government.
An Arab resident of east Jerusalem shot dead seven people, including four American citizens, near Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday night before surrendering to police after an intense hours-long manhunt. https://t.co/mqiKDl9ah2
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) August 14, 2022
