Israel closes UK consulate in Jerusalem after UK sanctions Israeli settlements

The UK has announced trade and services sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, prompting Israel to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem and bar British politicians from entering the country.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the Commons that the UK would introduce an import ban on goods from illegal settlements. Dates, mangoes, avocados, wine and olive oil are expected to be among the affected products. He also announced sanctions on companies and individuals providing construction, infrastructure, financing or real estate services for settlement expansion, a ban on advertising illegal settlement properties in the UK, personal sanctions on people accused of promoting settler violence, and a new ban on arms licences and other exports that contribute to the occupation.

Mr Miliband said the official UK view was now that the whole Israeli occupation of the West Bank was unlawful, following the International Court of Justice's 2024 conclusion. He said the British government agreed there was ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in parts of the West Bank, carried out by what he called settler terrorists. He accused the Israeli government of turning a blind eye and said some ministers had encouraged forced displacement. He began by describing himself as a proud British Jew and said holding British Jews responsible for the actions of the Israeli government was antisemitism.

Ministers said the immediate trigger was Israel's plan to build about 1,200 homes in the E1 area of the West Bank. They said the project would divide the territory, isolate East Jerusalem and make a viable two-state solution much harder. About 700,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem alongside more than three million Palestinians. Settlements are illegal under international law.

Eleven other countries, including France, Canada, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Poland and Iceland, announced or considered similar measures. Prime Minister Andy Burnham issued a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canada's Mark Carney. The UK government said it was not boycotting Israel itself and drew a distinction between the Israeli people and the Israeli government.

Israel responded with a set of punitive measures. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused Mr Miliband of outrageous lies and said a hostile Labour government was systematically acting against Israel. Israel ordered the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem, initially with immediate effect and later giving staff 30 days to leave. It said accreditation for diplomats there would be removed. It banned 12 British citizens, including 11 MPs such as Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, Diane Abbott and Sian Berry, from entering Israel. It also told British staff at the US-led International Coordination Centre for Gaza to leave and published a list of NGOs whose members should be barred, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Medical Aid for Palestinians.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Burnham defended the sanctions. He said Britain had to stand for fairness against injustice, stand with the underdog and show leadership on the world stage. He said he and the Foreign Secretary had taken close advice from the security services. Mr Miliband rejected claims from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis that the sanctions put British Jews at risk. The Chief Rabbi called it a dark day for British Jews, but Mr Miliband said he disagreed and that antisemites cause antisemitism.

Palestinian representatives welcomed the move. The Palestinian Authority called it an important step towards accountability, and the Palestinian ambassador to the UK described it as a turning point. In Israel, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert backed the language of ethnic cleansing and said the Israeli government's policies had suffered a historic collapse.

International reaction was mixed. President Donald Trump gave a restrained first response, saying he would speak to Israel and wanted to find out why the UK had acted all of a sudden. The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, condemned the UK move and warned of repercussions, but other US statements were more cautious. Marco Rubio said Washington did not want to destabilise the West Bank. There were reports that Mr Huckabee's comments were not coordinated with the White House.

Domestic reaction in the UK divided along political and communal lines. Labour MPs largely welcomed the move, with many saying it was overdue. The Conservatives called it performative and warned it could damage security cooperation and increase antisemitism. The Green Party said it did not go far enough and called for curbs on arms sales. Jewish community opinion was also split, with some leaders warning of a rise in anti-Jewish hatred and others supporting the sanctions. The measures come ahead of Israel's general election in seven weeks, and Israeli ministers accused the UK of interfering in their electoral process.