Israel Gives British Mission One Week to Leave
Tel Aviv informs the British Consulate in East Jerusalem that accredited British diplomats will lose their accreditation within 30 days.
Israel has informed the British Consulate in East Jerusalem that accredited British diplomats will lose their accreditation within 30 days, in a new escalation of the growing dispute between the Jewish state and the United Kingdom, against the backdrop of disagreements over Britain’s position on Israeli settlements.
An Israeli official said that British representatives participating in a U.S.-led coordination mission on Gaza inside Israel, along with diplomats based in Ramallah, must leave the country within seven days.
The Israeli measures come in response to a tougher British stance toward Israel. London announced sanctions targeting goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, in coordination with other countries, in a move it said was intended to curb settlement expansion and preserve prospects for a two-state solution.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had announced that his country would close the British Consulate in Jerusalem, exclude Britain from participating in the U.S. coordination mission on Gaza, end British training programs for Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank, and impose restrictions on the entry of a number of British citizens and officials.
The closure of the consulate carries particular diplomatic significance, as it represents the British government in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, and handles political, security, and economic matters related to British-Palestinian relations. Britain also does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem and considers it territory under Israeli occupation.
The escalation reflects the widening gap between London and Tel Aviv over Israeli settlements in the West Bank, at a time when international pressure on Israel is increasing because of settlement expansion and the situation of the Palestinians. The reciprocal measures risk further deterioration in bilateral relations, particularly as the dispute has moved beyond statements and criticism to measures affecting diplomatic presence and security and political cooperation between the two countries.
