Britain has threatened to expel 27 Israeli diplomats if Israel goes ahead with plans to shut down the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, according to unverified reports in Israeli media, according to Al Jazeera News. The move marks a sharp escalation in a diplomatic row triggered by London’s decision to impose sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The Ynet news outlet reported on Monday that British Ambassador Simon Walters delivered the warning directly to Israeli officials. Under the reported plan, London would expel one Israeli diplomat for each of the 27 British diplomatic staff whose status would end if the consulate is closed. Israel has ordered the consulate to shut by October 8 in retaliation for Britain’s sanctions, which include a ban on imports from settlements.
The East Jerusalem consulate operates separately from the British Embassy in Israel and manages political and consular relations with Palestinians in the city, the West Bank and Gaza. Its closure would effectively sever a dedicated channel for British engagement with the Palestinian leadership and residents in these territories.
Britain’s National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, travelled to Israel last week in an undisclosed effort to persuade Israeli officials to reverse the decision, Reuters reported. Those talks did not yield an agreement, though discussions are said to be ongoing. The British embassy in Israel declined to comment on the reported expulsion threat, according to Ynet.
The dispute underscores growing tensions between London and Jerusalem over settlement activity, which most of the international community considers illegal under international law. While Britain has long criticised settlements, the new sanctions and the threatened mass expulsion signal a harder line as the risk of a full diplomatic rupture rises.
