Israel has ordered the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem, beginning the retaliatory response to UK sanctions on Judea and Samaria, according to i24NEWS. Diplomats have been given one month to leave the country. Israel Gantz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council, said in response: "They will try to boycott – and we will continue to build."
Israel has begun implementing the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem, giving diplomats one month to leave the country, i24NEWS reported Wednesday. The move marks the first concrete step in the retaliatory campaign announced by the government in response to UK trade sanctions targeting Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
On Tuesday evening (Sep 8, 20:37 Jerusalem), Israel formally notified the UK to close the consulate within 30 days, and later that evening it was reported that diplomats would lose their status within that period. Earlier on Tuesday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demanded immediate closure (16:36 Jerusalem), and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for expelling the UK ambassador (14:39 Jerusalem). The Zioneer reported on the full set of retaliatory measures, including excluding Britain from the U.S.-led Gaza coordination mission, ending British training of Palestinian Authority security forces, and barring entry to 11 British officials. By the end of Tuesday, Israel also ordered British workers in Gaza and Ramallah to leave within seven days.
As The Zioneer reported on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, coordinating with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced the closure of the consulate along with a series of punitive measures. The diplomatic escalation follows the UK's decision to impose trade sanctions on Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. Israel Gantz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, said in response: "They will try to boycott – and we will continue to build."
It remains unclear whether the British consulate will comply with the closure order or whether further diplomatic steps will follow. The status of British diplomats in Ramallah and Gaza remains subject to separate deadlines.
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