Britain has warned it could expel 27 Israeli diplomats if Israel goes ahead with plans to shut down the British consulate in East Jerusalem, in a tit-for-tat escalation that deepens an already tense diplomatic row between the two countries.
The warning was reportedly conveyed by the British ambassador to Israel, Simon Walters, after Israel ordered the consulate closed by October 8. The closure order came in retaliation for Britain’s decision to impose sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including a ban on imports from them.
A consulate caught in the crossfire
The British consulate in East Jerusalem operates separately from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv. It handles Britain’s political and consular relations with Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Around 27 British diplomats are attached to it — hence the figure of one Israeli diplomat expelled for each British official who would lose their status.
Israel’s decision to terminate the consulate followed what it described as hostile British measures, chief among them sanctions targeting settlement activity that the international community regards as illegal under international law. London, for its part, has defended the sanctions as consistent with its long-standing position on settlements.
Back-channel diplomacy so far has failed
Britain’s National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, travelled to Israel last week on an undisclosed mission to persuade Israeli officials to reverse the closure order, according to Reuters. The talks produced no agreement, though discussions are said to be continuing.
Neither the British embassy in Israel nor the Israeli government has commented publicly on the reported expulsion threat, which first surfaced in the Israeli outlet Ynet and remains unverified by official sources on either side.
The standoff marks one of the sharpest diplomatic confrontations between Britain and Israel in recent memory, and comes amid broader international pressure on Israel over settlement expansion. If the October 8 deadline passes without a deal, both countries could face one of the largest reciprocal diplomatic expulsions in their bilateral history.
Source: Al Jazeera