UK threatens to expel Israeli diplomats over Jerusalem consulate closure
The United Kingdom has threatened to expel an Israeli diplomat for every British diplomat forced to leave Israel after the Israeli government’s decision to close the UK consulate in East Jerusalem, a move that could see up to 27 Israeli diplomats expelled.
The threat, first reported by Israeli newspaper Ynet, could mark one of the lowest points in British-Israeli diplomatic relations since Israel’s establishment.
The UK Foreign Office declined to comment on the report, describing it as speculation.
Israel has said it plans to close the consulate on Thursday in response to Britain’s decision to ban trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and impose sanctions on British companies involved in the construction of further settlements.
The UK Foreign Office was informally advised by former attorney general Dominic Grieve that Israel would be acting unlawfully if it closed the consulate because of its location in East Jerusalem, which the United Nations and most member states, including Britain, recognise as occupied Palestinian territory, the Guardian said in a report.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has described Britain’s sanctions decision as “morally distorted” and accused the ruling Labour Party of hostility towards Israel.
The consulate, located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, operates separately from the British embassy in Tel Aviv and has diplomatic responsibilities covering East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
An Israeli diplomatic source declined to comment on the reported British threat, saying Israel had demonstrated that any measures taken against it would receive an “appropriate response”.
British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell travelled to Jerusalem last week to urge Israel to reverse or postpone the consulate closure, but the talks failed.
Powell reportedly opposed Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s decision to proceed with the settlement trade ban, fearing it could benefit Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the October 27 national election.
There is no evidence so far that the British decision has featured in the campaign.
The dispute reflects growing tensions between Israel and some of its longstanding Western allies over Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which much of the international community considers illegal under international law.
Britain has accused Israeli settlers, with the backing of Netanyahu’s government, of carrying out ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
Western diplomats have expressed concern that Israel’s move to close the consulate could set a wider precedent, arguing that Britain’s response has implications beyond the immediate diplomatic dispute.
The closure would also involve Israel asserting authority over East Jerusalem in a manner that Britain and much of the international community say conflicts with international law.