Britain Opposes Transfer of Israel’s Foreign Office to Jerusalem

The British Government today informed the Government of Israel that the British Embassy will not be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which became the seat of Israel’s Foreign Office today.

In transmitting this information through its Ambassador in Israel, the British Government said that the decision is based on the following three points: 1. Britain never recognized Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem; 2. The moving of the Israel Foreign Office from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is not likely to ease the tension in the Middle East; 3. This move is likely to prejudice future consideration of the status of Jerusalem.

The London press shows little interest in the transfer of Israel’s Foreign Ministry beyond small factual reports of the event. The London Times declared that the move was unlikely to be viewed favorably by those members of the United Nations who had voted for the resolution calling for internationalization of Jerusalem. It seems, the Times stated, “that the Liaison Office in Tel Aviv will in fact operate as the Foreign Ministry in dealings with foreign missions.”