Israel has ordered Britain’s consulate in Jerusalem to close and is reportedly preparing retaliatory action against France as the dispute over trade sanctions on Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria escalates. The confrontation now extends beyond trade into diplomacy, security cooperation, and the U.S.-led Gaza initiative, according to The Zioneer Intelligence Desk.
Israel has ordered the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem and is preparing retaliatory action against France, as the diplomatic dispute over international sanctions on Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria continues to escalate, The Zioneer Intelligence Desk reports.
The move comes after a series of escalating steps against the United Kingdom on Tuesday, Sep 8. That evening, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem and additional measures including the exclusion of Britain from the U.S.-led Gaza coordination mission, the termination of British training for Palestinian Authority security forces, and entry bans on selected British officials. Within hours, Israel formally demanded the consulate's closure within 30 days, followed by the expulsion of British workers from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat and from Ramallah within seven days. Senior British officials have since confirmed that the UK is considering a response.
The confrontation now extends beyond Britain. On Tuesday afternoon, France announced it would halt trade with Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria, referring to them as "settlements in Palestine." On Wednesday morning, The Zioneer renewed its call for the closure of the French consulate in Jerusalem, citing the British precedent. Israeli officials are now weighing further responses, including potential action against the French consulate. The full nature and timeline of Israel's planned retaliation against France have not yet been announced.
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