UK weighs Israeli diplomat expulsions over East Jerusalem consulate closure

Britain is considering expelling Israeli diplomats if Israel proceeds with the planned closure of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, according to reports from Reuters, the Financial Times and other outlets.

The Guardian reported that Britain had threatened to expel one Israeli diplomat for each British diplomat forced to leave, potentially resulting in as many as 27 expulsions. Middle East Eye, citing Israel’s Ynet, reported that Britain had warned Israel it would expel 27 diplomats unless the closure was reversed. The UK Foreign Office declined to comment on what it called speculation.

Israel’s foreign ministry has said the consulate will close on Thursday and that its staff will lose their diplomatic credentials. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the move after Britain banned trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and imposed sanctions on British companies that support or facilitate further settlement construction. Sa’ar called the British measures “morally distorted” and accused the governing Labour Party of hostility toward Israel.

The East Jerusalem consulate is separate from the British Embassy in Tel Aviv and handles relations involving East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. British national security adviser Jonathan Powell traveled to Jerusalem last week in an unsuccessful effort to persuade Israel to reverse or postpone the closure, The Guardian reported.