Politics
Britain has reportedly warned Israel that if the British Consulate in East Jerusalem is closed and the diplomatic status of British diplomats stationed there is revoked, London could expel 27 Israeli diplomats
Britain has reportedly warned Israel that if the British Consulate in East Jerusalem is closed and the diplomatic status of British diplomats stationed there is revoked, London could expel 27 Israeli diplomats from the United Kingdom, along with their families. The report was carried by Israeli media. According to the reports, British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters conveyed the message to Israeli officials. Britain reportedly said that for every affected diplomat at the consulate, one Israeli diplomat would be ordered to leave the country. However, the British government has not officially confirmed the report.
Israel has ordered the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem by October 8. The decision came after Britain announced sanctions related to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The British Consulate in East Jerusalem operates separately from the British Embassy in Tel Aviv and handles Britain’s political and consular affairs concerning Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell also made an unannounced visit to Israel last week to discuss efforts to prevent the consulate’s closure. However, according to sources, no final agreement was reached, and negotiations are continuing. The recent diplomatic tensions between Britain and Israel are largely rooted in British sanctions related to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. London maintains that settlement expansion and settler violence undermine peace and reduce the prospects for a two-state solution, while Israel has rejected the British measures.
