Britain closes Israeli consulate in Jerusalem over settlement bans
The UK announced trade bans on goods from West Bank settlements while Israel ordered the shutdown of its diplomatic mission in Jerusalem.
The British government declared a ban on imports manufactured in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated the occupation is unlawful and accused settlers of ethnic cleansing. The move was coordinated with France and Canada. Britain warned it would refuse to act as bystanders to suffering there. US officials criticized the decision, while two Israeli ministers demanded retaliation against London. As a response, Israel ordered the closure of Britain's consulate in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Additionally, Israel plans to expel British diplomats from a Gaza ceasefire monitoring center and bar training for Palestinian forces. The foreign minister accused the UK of making outrageous lies regarding the situation. Trade analysts expect the impact on annual bilateral commerce worth $8.12 billion to be minimal due to unclear differentiation rules between settlement and Israeli products.
