By Alexander Cornwell
TEL AVIV, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Britain’s top national security adviser made an undisclosed trip to Israel last week, attempting to avert the shutdown of the UK’s consulate in East Jerusalem after Israel ordered its closure following London’s sanctions on settlement‑produced goods.
Jonathan Powell, the National Security Adviser, met with Israeli officials but failed to secure an agreement to keep the mission open, according to three anonymous sources.
Israel gave Britain a 30‑day window, starting Sept. 8, to shut the consulate and withdraw its diplomats from the city after the UK announced it would ban goods made in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
France and Canada also imposed similar sanctions, yet Israel has not taken retaliatory steps against them.
The episode underscores rising tension between Israel and its long‑time allies over settlement expansion, which most of the world deems illegal under international law—a stance Israel rejects.
The deadline for Britain to close the consulate expires on Thursday. Two sources said negotiations were still underway, and while a deal to keep the facility open remains possible, it appears unlikely to be reached before the cutoff.
When asked about Powell’s visit and the discussions with London, a spokeswoman for Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told Reuters that the consulate will close on Thursday as previously announced.
A UK government spokesperson declined to comment immediately.
In announcing the sanctions, Britain argued that Israel’s settlement policies undermine the prospects of a two‑state solution—a concept Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government openly opposes.
London cited Israeli‑backed settlement expansion and an increase in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank as justification for the measures, which are set to take effect next year.
The British consulate, located in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, handles UK relations with Palestinians in the city, the West Bank and Gaza, and provides consular services to Palestinian residents.
Israel’s foreign minister denounced Britain’s sanctions as “morally distorted,” accusing the Labour government of hostility toward Israel and meddling in the country’s upcoming general election on Oct. 27.
The sanctions and Israel’s response mark a new low in the once‑close partnership between the two nations. Britain has repeatedly criticised Israel over its conduct in the Gaza war and over settler attacks on Palestinians.
(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
