Israel orders closure of British consulate in Jerusalem

Israel has ordered the closure of the British Consulate located in Jerusalem. The directive came on Tuesday as a retaliatory move after Britain took the lead among Western countries in imposing sanctions over violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. The consulate had been accredited to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that the British Consulate in East Jerusalem is being shut down. He added that the UK will no longer be able to participate in the US-led coordination mission on Gaza in Israel. The training that Britain had been providing to Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank will also be halted. Furthermore, entry to Israel will be banned for certain elected British officials and several other UK citizens.

He added, "Britain's action is morally distorted and constitutes a blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state and its electoral process." Sa'ar also dismissed the allegations previously made by Foreign Minister Ed Miliband as "terrible lies."

British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband had announced a comprehensive sanctions package targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank during a speech in the House of Commons. He also outlined several other punitive measures. The speech contained some of the strongest criticism from Britain regarding Israeli settlement activities.

Miliband condemned Israel's full "illegal occupation" of the West Bank and criticized the escalating violence by settlers against Palestinians. He stated, "Settler terrorism has taken on widespread dimensions." Citing UN reports, he noted that this year, an average of six violent settler attacks have occurred daily in the West Bank, marking the highest recorded figure.

He further stated, "The British government agrees that in some areas of the West Bank, settler terrorists are carrying out ethnic cleansing against Palestinians." He alleged, "The Israeli government is turning a blind eye to this, and what is worse, several members of the government have spoken in favor of and taken steps towards the forced displacement of Palestinians."

Miliband announced that Britain would impose restrictions on the import of goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Sanctions would also be placed on companies and individuals who assist in settlement expansion. Additionally, export licenses will not be granted for weapons or other products that would significantly contribute to Israel's "occupation."

He mentioned that France and Canada would also impose restrictions on goods from Israeli settlements. He added that several other countries are prepared to "support further steps."

Subsequently, several Western countries jointly expressed support for European measures against products from settlements and indicated their desire to impose new sanctions.

In a joint statement, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom said they have the "intention" to impose national-level restrictions on trade in goods from settlements considered illegal under international law and to support European restrictions. They stated they are actively considering these and other measures in line with their national processes.

All 12 countries reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution.

They called on Israel to "immediately halt settlement expansion and the increase of civilian administrative authority, ensure accountability for settler violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces."

(Times of Israel, Reuters)