Israel is closing the British consulate in Jerusalem after the UK imposed a sweeping trade ban on Israeli West Bank sett...

Israel is closing the British consulate in Jerusalem after the UK imposed a sweeping trade ban on Israeli West Bank settlements. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced the closure along with a package of retaliatory measures, marking one of the sharpest ruptures between the two countries in recent memory. Beyond shutting the consulate, Israel is expelling the British delegation from the joint military monitoring center overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, ending a UK program that trained Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank, and banning 12 elected British officials from entering Israel. Sa'ar said additional British citizens involved in what he described as "antisemitic and anti-Israel activity" would also be barred from entry. The UK triggered the confrontation by announcing a full import ban on settlement goods and prohibiting British companies from providing services to settlements across sectors including finance, construction, real estate, and advertising. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said France and Canada would join the ban, with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden pledging to support further measures. The Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, and Norway have already enacted similar bans or are in the process of doing so. Miliband used unusually direct language, saying the British government agrees that "ethnic cleansing of Palestinians" is being carried out in parts of the West Bank by "terrorist settlers." He said homes have been bulldozed, roads destroyed, and families displaced, and added that he feels "deep shame" over what has unfolded. The ban will take effect in six to nine months. The economic impact is expected to be limited since settlements produce relatively small volumes of mainly agricultural exports. The move is widely seen as significant in symbolic terms, reflecting mounting frustration among some of Israel's closest allies over the war in Gaza and the rapid expansion of settlement construction under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel considers the West Bank to be the biblical and historical homeland of the Jewish people and opposes the creation of a Palestinian state. #Israel #UK ...