Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar's decision concerning the British consulate in Jerusalem has taken effect, and the consulate signs have been removed from the building, which will continue operating under the name “British Mission in Jerusalem”. This comes amid reports of diplomatic, economic and academic pressure facing Israel, which opposition figures and experts link to a decline in its international standing.
Seven British staff members retained
A statement by Sa'ar said the British consul general and 20 staff members had been preparing to leave Israel. However, talks between London and Tel Aviv resulted in seven staff members remaining in an office in the building, without diplomatic status, after its name was changed to the British Mission in Jerusalem. The consulate had provided services to Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The British foreign secretary said his country did not accept that Israel had a legal right to close the British Consulate General in Jerusalem. The building will continue providing services to Palestinians and British citizens under its new name, while London has temporarily withdrawn several of its staff members and their families, citing a lack of sufficient guarantees for the security of personnel and premises.
According to the British position, London will not take similar measures as long as talks with Israel continue and remain credible. At the same time, Britain is standing by the measures it announced on 8 September concerning settlements. The measures target trade with them, while Israeli media have indicated that implementing them could take several months.
Banks fear settlement-related sanctions
On the financial front, Haaretz quoted a document issued by the Association of Israeli Banks as saying that banks feared British and European sanctions could include financial institutions providing services to settlements. The banks declined to answer the newspaper's question about the possibility of halting financing for contractors working on the “E1” settlement project between Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem, following European warnings against continuing the project.
The pressures cited in the reports include European restrictions affecting the supply of equipment and spare parts used in the manufacture of Israeli tanks, ships and submarines. Israeli media also reported that the arrival of a submarine Israel bought from Germany had been delayed because European countries, including Spain, refused to allow it to pass through or dock at their ports to take on supplies.
In the Netherlands, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that airport authorities had tightened entry procedures for Israelis and that Israel's Foreign Ministry had received complaints related to those measures. At the same time, Israel's National Security Council issued instructions to Israelis abroad, including refraining from speaking Hebrew in public places and reconsidering travel to several countries.
The instructions also included avoiding the publication of locations and photographs revealing travellers' whereabouts on social media platforms. Yedioth Ahronoth also reported on an academic boycott targeting Israeli universities and lecturers in European Union countries, adding an academic dimension to the diplomatic and economic pressure being discussed.
International relations at the heart of election criticism
Opposition Israeli parties are placing international relations among their criticisms of Benjamin Netanyahu's government ahead of the election scheduled for 27 October. This comes amid an internal dispute over the impact of government decisions on Israel's foreign relations, particularly with European countries with which it has extensive diplomatic and trade ties.
Israeli affairs expert Shadi al-Sharafa said influential Israeli figures had criticised the government's decision and believed that a compromise should have been reached with Britain, given the breadth of diplomatic and trade relations between the two sides. He said the decision reflected a conflict between the politicians currently governing Israel and state institutions that believe hasty decisions are increasing its isolation.
Al-Sharafa added, in his assessment, that there was an Israeli drive targeting the British consulate, the French consulate and other foreign missions providing services to Palestinians in East Jerusalem. He said this drive sought to reduce the European presence serving Palestinians, as part of an Israeli policy aimed at entrenching what Israel calls its sovereignty over East Jerusalem.
Al-Sharafa concluded that Israel was gradually becoming, in his assessment, a “pariah state” as a result of the absence of substantive solutions to the Palestinian issue. This assessment coincides with the continuation of British-Israeli talks, the British Mission's remaining in the former consulate building with a limited staff, and the continuation of Britain's announced measures concerning settlement-related trade.
