Israel’s decision to close the East Jerusalem consulate is a punishment for Palestinians, ex-Israeli diplomats have told The Independent, after the UK announced its trade ban.
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar announced the closure of Britain’s East Jerusalem consulate on Tuesday as part of a number of retaliatory measures after UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband announced a trade ban with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Mr Saar said on social media: “We reject outright the outrageous lies and actions of the British Labour Government. The message to every government that harms us is clear: you will lose your influence and relevance in the region.”
Alon Liel, who was a diplomat for more than 30 years, has said that the Israeli reaction would have a significant impact on Palestinians.
“The Israeli reaction is not against Britain. It's against Palestine because closing the British consulate in Jerusalem, which is in fact the British embassy to Palestine, is damage to the Palestinians.
“The message is to the international community: you are not helping the Palestinians. We Israelis will see to it that they will suffer even more.”
He added that he felt the “the brutality of the settlers is isolating Israel internationally”.
Mr Miliband accused the Israeli government of turning a blind eye to “ethnic cleansing” as he set out a new approach to diplomacy as plans for the E1 development and settlement expansion in the West Bank would render a two-state solution unviable by “cutting through the heart of Palestine”.
Nadav Tamir, current executive director of J Street and former Israeli diplomat, told The Independent: “Palestinians who want any contact with the UK, whether they are UK citizens or not, they need a place to deal with the UK, and this is what the consulate was meant to do and closing it is will hurt Palestinians. I think it also hurts UK interests.”
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit back at the UK following the trade ban on Wednesday as his official spokesperson said: “It is not too late. Britain can still remember who it once was - and choose to become that nation again.”
“I suggest the British people remember who they were,” Doron Spielman said. “You may still have a chance to save your beautiful country.”
He added: “Stop focusing on Israel while we’re building on our homeland and [start] focusing on your own land because it’s important to the world.”
Despite the strong language from Spielman, Ilan Baruch, formerly ambassador to South Africa until he left the Israeli foreign ministry in 2009, told The Independent the Tel Aviv government didn’t want to break Israeli-British relations completely.
"Israel was indicating to the United Kingdom by not closing the British embassy in Tel Aviv, but the secondary mission in Jerusalem, that it doesn't want to break the Israeli-British relations totally. It was sort of a measured response.
“The same goes for the denial of entry to a delegation of British officials and, the removal of the British detachment from Kiryat Gat, from the international coordination for Gaza,” he added. "I would even say that the consulate in Jerusalem is primarily destined to deal with the relations with the Palestinian Authority.”
The consulate, where Helen Winterton sits as consul general, is in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem which has been effectively annexed under domestic law.
Mr Baruch said he predicted “there will be some pressure applied to leave the consulate” and that the current consul general could be asked to leave, alongside junior staff, “but not remove the consulate altogether.”
