Israel has announced four retaliatory measures against the UK in response to its decision to ban the import of all goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling the move a “series of anti-Israel decisions by the Labour Government”. On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said in a speech to parliament that the rapid expansion of Israeli settlements across the occupied Palestinian territory was “unlawful” and accused Israel of carrying out “ethnic cleansing”. He also announced sanctions against companies providing services to illegal settlements as well as tougher new restrictions on arms exports to Israel.
Twelve countries, including the UK, France, Canada, Spain and others, also shared a joint statement supporting a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict and announced their plans to impose their own trade restrictions on Israeli settlements. After Miliband’s speech, Israel announced four countermeasures against the UK, including the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said: “Accusations made today by the Foreign Secretary of the Labour Government in the British Parliament were outrageous lies.” He accused the UK of trying to interfere in Israeli elections, which are due in late October.
President Isaac Herzog said sanctions would prove to be a “grave miscalculation, a gross interference in the democratic elections of a sovereign nation, and a decision that will fall on the wrong side of history”. Saar said this response should be viewed as a message to every country, adding: “Whoever acts against Israel, Israel will act against them, and they will lose their influence and relevance in the region. Measures against Israel will not go unanswered.” The British consulate in East Jerusalem focuses on the needs of British nationals in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
It was first opened in 1839 but closed in 1914 at the start of World War I. It was later re-established as a consulate-general in 1948 after the British Mandate in Palestine ended. According to the British government website, the consulate provides assistance to British nationals in the Palestinian territory.
Meanwhile, the British embassy, where the British ambassador is based, is located in Tel Aviv. With the UK recognising Palestinian statehood last year, the East Jerusalem consulate has functioned as its de facto embassy to Palestine. This is a significant move because East Jerusalem, where the consulate is located, is considered Palestinian territory illegally occupied by Israel.
By ordering its closure, Israel is reaffirming its position that the whole of Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel, analysts say. According to a British government document from 2018, the team oversees the delivery of courses to security forces personnel in the occupied territory, ranging from conflict resolution to media skills. At a basic level, terminating the support team in Ramallah would mean the PA forces lose British expertise.
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