‘Israel’ gives Britain 30 days to close Jerusalem consulate: report

• In retaliation for UK sanctions on West Bank settlement goods, 'Israel' has ordered Britain's East Jerusalem consulate closed and given some diplomats just a week to leave

‘Israel’ has instructed the United Kingdom to shut down its consulate in East Jerusalem within 30 days, escalating a diplomatic rift that erupted after Britain and two allied nations moved to sanction ‘Israeli’ settlements in the West Bank.

According to an ‘Israeli’ official and additional sources familiar with the matter cited by Reuters, diplomats posted to the British consulate will lose their official accreditation once the 30-day window closes.

The consulate has long served as Britain's channel for engagement with the Palestinian Authority on matters concerning Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.

The timeline is even tighter for two other groups of British personnel: representatives attached to a United States–led coordination mission on Gaza, along with British diplomats stationed in Ramallah, have been told they must leave within just seven days.

The expulsion order follows a public warning from ‘Israeli’ Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who said on Tuesday that Britain's consulate, accredited to the Palestinian Authority, would have to close in retaliation for new UK trade restrictions on goods produced in ‘Israeli’ settlements. 

Saar characterized the British measures as an unwelcome intrusion into ‘Israeli’ sovereignty.

Britain's sanctions were not an isolated move. France and Canada announced their own bans on settlement-produced imports around the same time, while several other European governments backed the broader push

'Israel's' broader response

‘Israel's’ security cabinet is expected to convene on Wednesday to determine what, if any, action to take against the other governments that joined or endorsed Britain's stance. 

France and Sweden also maintain their own East Jerusalem consulates accredited to the Palestinian Authority, meaning they could face similar pressure. Canada operates a representative office in Ramallah.

This is not unprecedented territory for Israel: it has previously forced the closure of foreign diplomatic missions based in Ramallah.

British reaction

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the closure was disappointing but not unexpected, noting that London had anticipated potential ‘Israeli’ retaliation when it decided to move ahead with the sanctions. 

He defended the decision as one the UK felt it could not avoid given the situation on the ground in the West Bank.

Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office nor the British consulate had issued detailed public comment on the closure order as of Wednesday.