Key facts
- Israel ordered the closure of its British consulate in East Jerusalem.
- The UK, France, and Canada announced trade bans on goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
- Israel will end British participation in a US-led Gaza coordination mission.
- Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar described the UK's actions as 'morally distorted' and 'blatant interference'.
- Israel also announced entry bans on several UK Members of Parliament.
- The UK's stance now regards Israel's occupation of the West Bank as illegal.
Israel has ordered the closure of the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem and will terminate British involvement in training Palestinian security forces, in response to the UK's announcement of a trade ban on goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar described the UK's move as 'morally distorted' and 'blatant interference' in Israel's affairs, also announcing entry bans on several UK MPs.
The UK's sanctions, coordinated with 11 other countries including France and Canada, are intended to counter settlement expansion and settler violence. The UK's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated that the UK now regards Israel's occupation of the West Bank as illegal, a tougher stance than previously held.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the British government 'anti-Semitic', while other ministers suggested retaliatory measures, including sanctions on Britain over the Falkland Islands. A US representative threatened repercussions for British businesses operating in Florida. Israel's President Isaac Herzog called the ban a 'grave miscalculation' and urged dialogue over sanctions.
The consulate in East Jerusalem focuses on Palestinian issues, while the British embassy is in Tel Aviv. Israel considers Jerusalem its undivided capital. The escalating row has seen diplomatic relations between the two countries reach a low point.