Britain likely to expel Israeli diplomats if East Jerusalem consulate closes, sources say

London, United Kingdom. Britain is likely to expel Israeli diplomats if Israel carries out its order to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem this week, four sources said. The dispute follows Britain’s announcement of a ban on trade in goods made in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Closure deadline

Israel ordered Britain on September 8 to close the consulate within 30 days and remove its diplomats from the city. The deadline expires on Thursday, affecting around 30 British diplomats working there, along with their family members, the sources said.

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If the consulate closes, Britain is likely to expel a similar number of Israeli diplomats from Israel’s embassy in the United Kingdom, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. They did not say how quickly Britain would act.

Official responses

After Britain announced the sanctions, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused London of interfering in this month’s Israeli general election.

The British foreign office did not respond to a request for comment, while the Israeli foreign ministry declined to comment. An Israeli official said any action against Israel would be met with a response.

Strained relations

The sanctions announcement and Israel’s response marked a new low in relations between the once steadfast allies.

Britain has repeatedly criticised Israel over its actions in the war in Gaza and Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians. Israel’s government has accused Britain’s governing Labour party of being hostile towards Israel.

Consulate’s role

The British consulate, in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, handles Britain’s relations with Palestinians in the city, the West Bank and Gaza. It also provides consular services to Palestinians.

The consulate has been in Jerusalem for almost 200 years, predating the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

Efforts to reach an agreement

Reuters reported on Monday that Britain’s top national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, had quietly visited Israel last week in an attempt to keep the consulate open but failed to reach an agreement.

A fourth source said Britain remained hopeful that an agreement could be reached.