Israel shuts British consulate in East Jerusalem after UK settlement sanctions

Israel ordered the British consulate in East Jerusalem closed within 30 days and expelled UK officials from a Gaza coordination centre after Britain imposed an import ban on goods from West Bank settlements. The retaliation, which includes barring 12 British politicians, deepens a diplomatic rift that could affect security cooperation and set a precedent for other European states.

Bottom line — The closure of the 150-year-old consulate is the most severe diplomatic blow between London and Jerusalem in decades.

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• British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband called the Israeli measures 'regrettable and damaging' but said London had anticipated them, per Reuters. He insisted intelligence and security ties would continue.
• UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham defended the sanctions as standing 'for fairness against injustice', citing the planned E1 settlement of 1,200 homes, per Dawn.
• Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused the Labour government of 'systematic hostile actions' and said the sanctions were imposed for domestic political reasons before the Labour Party conference, per World Israel News.
• 12 British politicians, including Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott, were banned from entering Israel for 'antisemitic or anti-Israel activity', per JFeed.
• Former US official Elliott Abrams said the retaliation was designed to make London 'wince' and warned Britain would lose influence in the region, similar to Norway's experience, per The Jerusalem Post.
• Israel also expelled Dutch representatives from the Gaza coordination centre last month after the Netherlands announced a similar settlement import ban, according to Middle East Eye.
• The US administration has been passing messages between the two governments and pressing London not to impose sanctions, per Ma'ariv cited by Middle East Eye.

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