🇬🇧❌🇮🇱 UK threatens to expel 27 Israeli diplomats if Jerusalem consulate is shuttered

Britain has warned Israel that it could expel 27 Israeli diplomats from the embassy in London if Israel follows through on its decision to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem, where 27 British diplomats work, according to an unsourced Ynet report on Monday.

British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters has conveyed the message to Israeli officials, the report said, with London threatening to expel one Israeli diplomat for each British diplomat whose work at the consulate is terminated.

The threat would be the latest escalation in badly strained ties between Jerusalem and London. Last month, the United Kingdom announced sweeping measures targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank, prompting Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to announce a series of countermeasures, including the closure of the East Jerusalem consulate within 30 days — a deadline set to take effect this Thursday.

🔗 https://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-threatens-to-expel-27-israeli-diplomats-if-jerusalem-consulate-is-shuttered-report/