The UK government is making a last-ditch attempt to persuade Israel not to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem later this week. Israel said in September that it would shut the mission, which is separate from the UK embassy based in Tel Aviv, in retaliation for the UK announcing sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. British sanctions will ban settlement goods but also act against companies and individuals providing services for settlement expansion. The Foreign Office said it would not comment on “speculation and live discussions” that the UK could expel Israeli diplomats in response.
The Israeli government said it would close the mission within 30 days of the UK sanctions announcement, meaning that the mission – first established in 1838 – will close on Thursday unless a deal is reached. The consulate handles UK relations with Palestinians in the city as well as in the West Bank and Gaza. UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell made an undisclosed visit to Israel last week for talks but seemingly left without reaching an agreement. According to Israeli media, the UK is threatening to expel up to 27 Israeli diplomats if the closure goes ahead.
Such a tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats is more common among adversaries than allies. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, former British ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould, said any decision by the UK to expel Israeli diplomats would inflict “grievous damage” on the relationship between both countries. He said areas affected could include defence, security and technology. Gould told the programme: “When you’ve got to a stage where you are chucking out the big majority of Israeli diplomats in London, I don’t think that’s purely symbolic.
“I think at that point you’re doing really quite serious damage to the structure and the substructure of the relationship.” He added that governments “have a choice”, that the expulsion of Israeli diplomats would be a “gift to the Israeli right”, and would help Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu win re-election. France and Canada joined the UK in the initial sanctions, but Israel has not taken action against them. Emily Thornberry, chair of the foreign affairs committee, said: “Beyond the fact that the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem – occupied Palestinian territory – is not in Israel’s prerogative, it is yet another attempt by this far-right Israeli government to block a two-state solution.” She added: “It is illegal, and the UK must resist it.” Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has previously said that they do not want the consulate to close. “It would damage the very important work that we are doing, helping people in those communities,” he said last month.
UK announces sanctions on West Bank settlements prompting furious Israeli response How Israel is expanding settlements in drive to reshape West Bank
