Israel closes British consulate in East Jerusalem: Response to blockade of imports from West Bank settlements

"The British move is morally depraved and constitutes open interference in the affairs of a sovereign state and its electoral process," he said, describing comments by British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband as accusations that amounted to "scandalous lies." The UK will no longer participate in the US-led coordination mission for Gaza, while some British officials and other citizens will be banned from entering Israel, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sarr said. Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate. Israel said on Monday it was closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem in response to plans by Britain, France and Canada to block imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Reuters news agency reported. The UK will no longer participate in the US-led coordination mission for Gaza, while some British officials and other citizens will be banned from entering Israel, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said. "The British move is morally depraved and constitutes open interference in the affairs of a sovereign state and its electoral process," he said, describing comments by British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband as accusations that amounted to "scandalous lies." The British Consulate in East Jerusalem is accredited to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Saar said he had coordinated Israel's response with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Elections are due to be held in Israel at the end of October. Trade measures The trade measures proposed by Britain, France and Canada on Monday are the latest in a series of moves aimed at Israel's settlement policies and indicate Israel's growing diplomatic isolation among some of its traditional allies. A broad group of countries signaled today that they are prepared to take additional steps to defend the two-state solution — a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel. Concerns are growing over settlement expansion and violence in the West Bank, which Israel occupies. Miliband said today that Britain can no longer just "point out" injustice and suffering, but must act to oppose settlement expansion, which he said threatens the viability of a Palestinian state. The United Nations, the Palestinians and most states consider the settlements illegal under international law. Israel disputes this. "Successive Canadian governments have advocated that a two-state solution is the path to a long-term peace that also takes into account Israel's legitimate security concerns. Illegal settlements in the West Bank seriously undermine those goals," Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand wrote on X.net. See more: Download the app and follow the news FOLLOW US ON