Israel has announced that it is closing the British Consulate in East Jerusalem in a major escalation of the diplomatic row between the two countries.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced the move on Tuesday in response to new British measures targeting trade linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The decision forms part of a wider package of retaliatory steps announced by Israel, including removing Britain from a US-led Gaza coordination mission, ending British training of Palestinian Authority forces and barring some UK nationals, including elected officials, from entering Israel.
Sa'ar said the measures had been coordinated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
British Consulate ordered to close
The British Consulate General in Jerusalem has long represented the UK's diplomatic engagement with the Palestinian territories.
Israel's announcement orders the closure of the consulate in East Jerusalem, but the move should be distinguished from the building having already ceased operations. The British Government continued to list the consulate as part of its diplomatic network at the time of the announcement.
The closure marks one of the most serious recent deteriorations in relations between London and Jerusalem.
Israel announces wider retaliation
According to Reuters, Sa'ar also announced that Britain would be excluded from the US-led coordination mission for Gaza.
British involvement in training Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank is also to be terminated.
Israel further said that some British nationals, including elected officials, would be barred from entering the country.
Sa'ar accused the British Government of unacceptable interference in Israel's internal affairs and strongly criticised Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband over the measures announced by London.
UK moves against settlement trade
The Israeli response came after the UK Government announced new action over Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the Government would introduce an import ban on goods from settlements and establish a new sanctions regime targeting individuals and companies involved in settlement expansion.
The Government also said it would ban the advertising in the UK of settlement property and take further action against extremist settlers.
Miliband said the measures were aimed at settlements and settlement expansion rather than Israel itself, and said the UK would continue to support trade with Israel within the Green Line.
UK joins France and Canada
The UK, France and Canada have said they will bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods.
The announcement formed part of a wider joint statement involving Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
The countries said settlement expansion and settler violence were undermining the prospects for a two-state solution and called on the Israeli Government to halt further expansion.
Relations deteriorate sharply
The confrontation represents a significant deterioration in UK-Israel relations, moving beyond political criticism and sanctions into direct diplomatic retaliation.
The dispute is likely to intensify scrutiny of Britain's wider relationship with Israel as the Government proceeds with legislation and sanctions connected to settlements in the West Bank.
Sources
- Reuters: Israel's foreign minister says it is closing British consulate in East Jerusalem, 8 September 2026
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Foreign Secretary oral statement on Israel-Palestine, 8 September 2026
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Joint Foreign Ministers' Statement on the Two-State Solution, 8 September 2026