Israel Orders British Consulate in East Jerusalem to Close Over Sanctions

Israel has ordered the British Consulate in East Jerusalem to shut down within 30 days, and its diplomats will lose their residency permits during that period, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing an Israeli official. According to another source familiar with the matter, British representatives at a command center in Kiryat Gat and British diplomats operating in Ramallah have been given just one week to leave the country.

These Israeli measures are a direct response to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband's announcement in the London Parliament on Tuesday. Miliband declared a ban on trade with Israeli settlements and prohibited the export of weapons and equipment that aid them, while clarifying that Britain would continue to deepen trade ties with Israel itself. The British move received support from 11 other countries, including France and Canada.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Trump administration did not oppose the economic sanctions package Britain imposed on the settlements. Axios reported early Wednesday, based on U.S. officials, that prior to the announcement, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke with President Trump and updated him on the plan. Sources privy to the conversation indicated that the President did not object or attempt to alter the decision.

Furthermore, Axios noted that U.S. officials informed their London counterparts that they "share their concerns about the Netanyahu government's policies in the West Bank, even if they do not agree on these specific sanctions." The White House also distanced itself from remarks made by U.S. Ambassador to Jerusalem Mike Huckabee on Tuesday. In a BBC interview, Huckabee stated that if Britain proceeds with sanctions against "illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank," there would undoubtedly be an American response.