![Conservative Party Leader and Britain's 57th Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak leaves the party headquarters in London, United Kingdom on October 24 ,2022 [Dinendra Haria/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AA-20221024-29239861-29239855-RISHI_SUNAK_BECOMES_BRITAINS_57TH_PRIME_MINISTER.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Britain’s newly appointed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced yesterday that there are no plans to relocate the British embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
A Downing Street spokesperson told journalists at a press briefing yesterday that the controversial plan to shift the embassy had been dropped.
Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, welcomed the news, saying in a statement: “We would like to thank the UK government, opposition parties, faith leaders, activists and members of the public whose efforts have helped keep the UK in line with international law on the matter.”
“The question about the location of the UK’s embassy should never have been asked in the first place.”
He added, ““There is much work to be done to create a conducive environment for peace in the Middle East and make amends for the historic injustice caused by the Balfour Declaration, 105 years ago.”
“We call on the British government to play an active role, recognise the State of Palestine, affirm the UK’s support for the rights of Palestinian refugees, ban all illegal goods and products from settlement in occupied territories and sanction companies working in and profiting from them.”
The decision comes after former British Prime Minister Liz Truss pledged to move the embassy to Jerusalem and had also issued orders to study the feasibility of relocating before she had resigned.
This was despite Palestinian leaders warning that moving the embassy would undermine the two-state solution and destroy their relations with Britain.
READ: After Truss, Israel hopes UK still plans to relocate embassy to Jerusalem