Israel Tells Britain to Close Jerusalem Consulate

What each capital says it is doing, and why

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced Tuesday that the UK would ban imports from Israeli settlements built in the West Bank, saying the British government's official position is that the occupation of the West Bank "is unlawful," according to CNBC. He told the BBC on Wednesday that the sanctions came from a place of "deep concern" that waiting longer would make it "too late" for a two-state solution.

"We and our allies did not feel we could stand by and be passive and powerless in the face of this destruction of the two-state solution," Miliband said, per CNBC. He said the UK "could not simply stand by because we feared Israeli reaction," and accused settlers of intimidating and harassing Palestinians "out of their homes." The BBC reported the UK accused Israel's government of turning a blind eye to the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians by settlers.

Israel's stated reason is different. Saar called Miliband's ethnic-cleansing allegation "outrageous lies," CNBC reported, and said in a statement: "The message to every government that harms us is clear: you will lose your influence and relevance in the region." Israel accused the British government of "systematically working against" the country.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana condemned the British measures, saying: "We will continue to fight for the safety and security of Israeli citizens even if it brings condemnations, and even harsh condemnations, from some countries around the world."

Washington stays quiet

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asked about the British move by reporters, said: "Obviously, we're not going to do what the UK did. We saw their announcement today but I don't have any comment on it right now," per the BBC. He said Britain had notified the administration in advance, that the U.S. shared "the goal of stability," and that Washington did not "want to see some uptick in violence… in the West Bank."

Asked on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he would speak to Israel to understand its thinking, adding: "I understand exactly what's going on, but I want to find out why all of a sudden has that happened," the BBC reported. The New York Times reported Trump declined to say whether the United States opposed the measures taken by Britain, Canada and France.

That restraint followed a louder warning. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, speaking to the BBC before the UK announcement, suggested American "sanctions, repercussions or retaliations" could be coming for Britain — while saying he did not know what they would be and had not spoken to Trump. The National Pulse reported Huckabee accused the UK government of "Jew hate." Pro-Israel Republicans in Congress publicly pressed for action against Britain, the BBC reported, pointing to state laws such as Florida's that penalize companies boycotting Israel.