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UK will not move Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

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UK said it would not move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Here, tourists look from the Mount of Olives at the panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem
UK said it would not move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Here, tourists look from the Mount of Olives at the panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem

The UK will not move the British embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, after a review launched by ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today said “it was looked at and I can confirm there are no plans to move” the embassy.

Number 10 was unsure whether the Israeli government had been told about the decision.

It comes as Israel held its fifth election since 2019 this week, with Benjamin Netanyahu set to return as Prime Minister with a coalition of right-wing parties.

It was widely expected that the UK would make the controversial move to relocate its Israel embassy to the contested capital of Jerusalem under Truss, with the ex-PM making previous comments about her support of the move.

The vast majority of countries have their embassy in Tel Aviv as Israelis and Palestinians both claim Jerusalem as their capital.

This means that Jerusalem is not internationally recognised as the capital of the state of Israel even though the country’s parliament and government buildings are located in the city.

Donald Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, sparking anger from Palestinians and international organisations.