Britainupdated 1h ago2 min read
UK Warns Israel It Will Expel 27 Israeli Diplomats Over East Jerusalem Consulate
UK threatened to expel 27 Israeli diplomats if Israel closes the East Jerusalem consulate. Israel ordered the closure of the British Consulate-General in East Jerusalem by Oct 8.
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Expulsion Threat Over Consulate
The United Kingdom warned Israel that it will remove 27 diplomats from the London embassy unless Tel Aviv reverses its decision to close the British Consulate General in occupied East Jerusalem, according to Ynet news website reporting. British Ambassador Simon Walters delivered the message to Israeli officials, and the warning marked a further escalation in bilateral tensions over the Gaza war and Israeli policies in the West Bank. Israel ordered the closure of the consulate by October 8 in retaliation for Britain’s decision to sanction illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, including a ban on imports.
The British consulate operates separately from the British Embassy in Israel and handles relations with Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, including political and consular affairs. The British embassy in Israel declined to comment on the reported threat to expel Israeli diplomats, while the Israeli side said the consulate will close on Thursday as announced.
Powell’s Secret Visit
Jonathan Powell, Britain’s National Security Adviser, travelled to Israel last week in an undisclosed attempt to persuade Israeli officials to reverse the closure, Reuters reported. Three sources told Reuters that Powell held talks with Israeli officials but failed to reach an agreement to keep the consulate open, and the 30-day deadline to close the consulate expires on Thursday. A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry told Reuters that the consulate will close on Thursday as announced, and the British government issued no further comment through a spokesman.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gadi Sa’ar described Britain’s decision to impose sanctions as “morally distorted,” accusing the ruling British Labour Party of anti-Israel sentiment and of interfering in Israel’s upcoming general elections scheduled for October 27. Reuters said talks were ongoing and that an agreement to keep the consulate open may be reached, but it was unlikely to be finalized before the deadline on Thursday.
What Is at Stake Next
Israel ordered Britain to close its consulate in East Jerusalem within 30 days and expel its diplomats from the city after London announced its intent to impose a ban on goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Britain’s sanctions were due to take effect next year, and Reuters said the consulate, located in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, handles Britain’s relations with Palestinians in the city as well as in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The potential expulsion threat was framed as reciprocal, with Ynet reporting that Britain would expel one Israeli diplomat for each of the 27 British diplomats whose diplomatic status at the consulate would be terminated if it is shut.
i24NEWS said the United Kingdom warned it would expel 27 Israeli diplomats, as well as their families, if the British consulate in East Jerusalem were closed and its diplomats expelled. The dispute also included Israel’s decision to close the consulate and revoke diplomatic credentials, and Reuters reported that the 30-day deadline to close the consulate expires on Thursday.