UK ‘threatens to expel 27 Israeli diplomats’ over Jerusalem consulate

Israel ordered East Jerusalem consulate to be closed in retaliation for British sanctioning of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The United Kingdom has threatened to expel 27 Israeli diplomats should Israel proceed with plans to close the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, according to unverified Israeli media reports.

The Ynet outlet reported on Monday that the British Ambassador to Israel, Simon Walters, had conveyed the warning to Israeli officials. Israel ordered the closure of the consulate by October 8 in retaliation for the British decision to sanction illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

According to the report, the British government has threatened to expel one Israeli diplomat for each of the 27 British diplomats whose diplomatic status at the consulate would be terminated in the event that it is shut.

Israel ordered the consulate’s closure after Britain imposed sanctions targeting illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including a ban on imports.

The 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.

Britain’s National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, travelled to Israel last week in an undisclosed attempt to persuade Israeli officials to reverse the closure, the Reuters news agency reported on Monday. The talks did not produce an agreement, although discussions are continuing.

The British embassy in Israel has declined to comment on the reported threat, according to Ynet.