Israel has published the names of 11 British lawmakers and activists it is barring from the country, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Zarah Sultana, as part of retaliatory measures against UK sanctions on Judea and Samaria. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar also announced the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem and the expulsion of British representatives from the Gaza aid coordination center.
Israel has published the names of 11 British lawmakers and activists it is banning from entry, as part of a wider set of retaliatory measures announced by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Tuesday evening. The published list includes former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, MPs Zarah Sultana, Naz Shah, Diane Abbott, Hannah Spencer, Carla Denyer, Sian Berry, Ellie Chowns, John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, and Adrian Ramsay — one fewer than the 12 officials Sa'ar had initially cited in earlier announcements. The measures, approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also include closing the British consulate in Jerusalem, expelling British representatives from the Gaza aid coordination center in Kiryat Gat, and halting British training of Palestinian Authority security forces. The government issued a statement asserting that 'Judea and Samaria were part of Israel long before the English became a nation.'
The diplomatic escalation follows a series of UK actions that Israel views as hostile. Britain had earlier imposed trade restrictions on products from Judea and Samaria and personal sanctions on Israeli settlement activists, as The Zioneer reported at 17:39 Jerusalem on Tuesday. In July, 80 British MPs and peers called for a full arms embargo on Israel, and a separate cross-party group of 71 MPs urged sanctions on Prime Minister Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin. Sa'ar described the British moves as a pattern of adversarial measures by the Labour government since July 2024, including funding for UNRWA and arms export restrictions.
The broader diplomatic rift has deepened over recent months. Ireland banned two Israeli ministers from entry in June. Tuesday's measures represent the most significant Israeli countermeasures against a Western ally in recent years, combining diplomatic steps (consulate closure) with operational changes (training halt, mission expulsion) and individual entry bans. The list of banned individuals targets figures who have been vocal critics of Israeli policy in Judea and Samaria.
The reduction from 12 to 11 individuals in the published list remains unexplained. The specific legal basis for each entry ban and its duration have not been detailed. The United Kingdom has not yet formally responded to Tuesday's announcements.
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