Senior British officials have made it clear to Israel that if the British consulate in East Jerusalem is closed and British diplomats are expelled, the United Kingdom will respond by expelling 27 Israeli diplomats, along with their families, two sources familiar with the matter said. The Jerusalem Post Monday.
The move would follow British economic sanctions against the West Bank.
There is no reason for us to address speculation about what decisions other countries might make in the future, diplomatic sources said. Job.
“We have already demonstrated that any action against Israel will result in an appropriate response, and this will continue to be the case in the future,” the sources added.
Additionally, Britain’s top national security official quietly visited Israel last week in a bid to prevent the consulate from closing, three sources said. Reuters.
British national security adviser Jonathan Powell, whose visit the British government did not disclose, spoke with Israeli officials but did not reach an agreement to keep the consulate open, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
In announcing the sanctions, Britain said Israel’s actions undermined the possibility of a two-state solution, the idea of a Palestinian state coexisting peacefully alongside Israel. Israel has rejected the idea of a Palestinian state.
Britain cited Israeli government-backed plans to expand settlements and the rise in extremist settler attacks targeting Palestinians in the West Bank. British sanctions are due to come into force next year.
The British consulate, located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, manages the country’s relations with Palestinians in the city as well as in the West Bank and Gaza. It also provides consular services to Palestinians.
Saar said Britain’s decision to impose sanctions was “morally distorted,” accusing Britain’s ruling Labor Party of being hostile toward the country and interfering in Israel’s upcoming October 27 general election.
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