A senior British official told i24NEWS that the UK government is considering how to respond to Israel's decision to close the British consulate in Jerusalem, a retaliatory step following Britain's sanctions on Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. The official did not elaborate on the nature or timing of any potential response.
A senior British official told i24NEWS on Wednesday that the UK government is actively weighing its response to Israel's decision to close the British consulate in Jerusalem. The official did not elaborate on the nature or timing of any potential response.
The development follows an earlier statement by the same official — reported by The Zioneer on Tuesday at 20:37 Jerusalem — that the UK would respond to the closure. The diplomatic crisis began on Tuesday when Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar ordered the consulate closed within 30 days and British staff at the US-led International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat expelled, in a direct retaliatory step against Britain's sanctions on Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. The thread of Israeli measures expanded rapidly: Israel later set a 30-day deadline for the consulate to vacate, and ordered British workers in Gaza and Ramallah to leave within seven days.
The broader rift between Jerusalem and London has been building since the summer. As The Zioneer reported, the UK formulated a framework in July to ban trade with communities in Judea and Samaria, and in June it sanctioned seven entities and individuals tied to those communities. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir had called for the consulate's immediate closure in September, accusing it of operating on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. According to The Zioneer's analysis, the Trump administration has not opposed the British sanctions, underscoring growing diplomatic friction between Israel and traditional Western allies over the status of Jewish communities in the heartland.
What remains open is the UK's course of action. The senior official gave no indication of whether the response would be diplomatic, economic, or involve further sanctions, and no timeline was provided.
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