The Embassy of Israel in London is the diplomatic mission of Israel in the United Kingdom. It is located in the South Kensington area on Kensington Palace Gardens near the junction with Kensington High Street. The Grade II* listed building constructed in red brick at his request. It was granted Grade II* listed status in 1969.
Security incidents and assassination attempts
Memorial plaque at the Embassy to Ami Shachori|thumb
On 19 September 1972, a letter bomb delivered to the Embassy exploded, killing Ami Shachori, an Israeli diplomat. Seven other bombs claimed to have been sent by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September were either not delivered, or detected.
On 3 June 1982, Ambassador of Israel Shlomo Argov was shot and seriously injured on departing an event at the Dorchester Hotel where he was guest of honour. A terror cell claiming to have split from the PLO and headed by Abu Nidal took credit for the attack. After a lengthy coma, Argov died of his wounds in 2003. The incident is widely reported as being a key factor in the 1982 Lebanon War.
On 26 July 1994, a car bomb exploded outside the embassy, partially destroying the front of the building and injuring 20 people within and outside the building. The blast damaged shops on nearby Kensington High Street, and blew out windows in Kensington Palace. and at least one court sentence for those taking part in the violence.
On 28 April 2025, an armed man was arrested while trespassing on embassy grounds and charged with preparing acts of terrorism. The Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism division stated that they believed the suspect acted alone.
On 17 April 2026, the Metropolitan Police opened a counter-terrorism investigation after a video appeared online in which Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, a militant group mainly targeting Jewish and Israeli institutions, argued that it was planning an attack on the embassy using drones carrying “dangerous substances.” Discarded items were discovered near the embassy building, but no attack took place and no injuries or damage were reported. The police are investigating whether the items found were at all related to the organizations' claim.
Renovations and re-dedication
On 15 March 2010, Ambassador of Israel Ron Prosor formally announced the re-dedication of the embassy after an extensive refurbishment programme. As part of the embassy's re-dedication, the original Music Room of the Thackeray house was named in honour of late Ambassador Shlomo Argov.
See also
- Israel–United Kingdom relations
- 1994 London Israeli Embassy bombing
References
External links
- Earlier history of the house, from the Survey of London