British diplomats given 30 days to leave as Israel retaliates against UK sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank
TEL AVIV: Israel has ordered the British consulate in East Jerusalem to close, with diplomats assigned to the mission set to lose their accreditation within 30 days, according to an Israeli official and two sources familiar with the matter.
British representatives working with a U.S.-led Gaza coordination mission in Israel, along with British diplomats based in Ramallah, have been given seven days to leave, the sources said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced Tuesday that Britain must shut its consulate in East Jerusalem, which is accredited to the Palestinian Authority. The move came in response to British sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Britain has said it will ban imports from Israeli settlements built on land internationally recognized as Palestinian territory. France and Canada have also announced measures restricting imports from settlements.
Israel’s government was expected to meet Wednesday to discuss further measures against countries that joined Britain in imposing the restrictions, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The Israeli government’s response comes amid increasingly strained relations with several Western countries over Israel’s policies in the occupied West Bank and its military campaign in Gaza.
France and Sweden, which endorsed Britain’s measures, also operate consulates in Jerusalem that are accredited to the Palestinian Authority. Canada maintains an office in Ramallah.
Israel has previously taken steps against diplomatic offices in Ramallah, the administrative center of the Palestinian Authority.
