The United Kingdom is expected to expel Israeli diplomats if Israel enforces its decision this week to shutter the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
1+On September 8, Israel officially instructed Britain to close its East Jerusalem consular mission within 30 days and withdraw its accredited diplomats from the city. The move came in direct response to London’s announcement of punitive measures against communities in Judea and Samaria, including a planned ban on commercial imports of goods originating in the settlements.
The 30-day ultimatum expires on Thursday. According to diplomatic sources cited in the report, the closure will affect about 30 British diplomatic personnel assigned to the station, along with their accompanying dependents.
1+Reuters reported that should the mission be forcibly closed,
Britain plans to retaliate reciprocally by expelling a comparable number of Israeli diplomats stationed at the Israeli Embassy in London.
The precise operational timeline for the British expulsion order remains unclear.The report further disclosed that British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell conducted a secret visit to Israel last week in an eleventh-hour bid to negotiate a diplomatic compromise and halt the eviction. However, the talks yielded no breakthrough, with Israeli officials confirming that the consulate will be closed as scheduled.