UK Threatens to Expel Israeli Diplomats Over Consulate Closure
The United Kingdom threatened to expel 27 Israeli diplomats after Israel announced it would close the British consulate in East Jerusalem on October 8.
The Government of the United Kingdom has threatened to expel up to 27 Israeli diplomats and their families if Israel proceeds with the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem. The Israeli Foreign Ministry scheduled the closure for October 8 as retaliation for a UK decision to ban trade in goods from illegal West Bank settlements and impose sanctions on British firms facilitating settlement construction.
UK officials implemented the sanctions, which take effect next year, citing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and the undermining of a two-state solution. UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell traveled to Jerusalem to persuade the Israeli government to rescind the closure, but the talks failed.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar described the UK sanctions as "morally distorted" and accused the Labour party of interfering in Israel's general election scheduled for October 27. The diplomatic rift extends beyond the UK, as Israel has also revoked the credentials of Dutch diplomats following a similar import ban by the Netherlands.
