Israel Retaliates Against UK Sanctions

In a statement, Sa'ar said he had decided on "a series of Israeli countermeasures in response to a new wave of sanctions announced by the Labour government." He characterized accusations leveled against Israel in the British Parliament as "outrageous and false," while emphasizing that Israel harbors no grievance against the British people themselves. "We know we have many friends in Britain, but the hostile Labour government has left us no choice," he stated.

Sa'ar described the British move as "morally distorted and constituting blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state." He drew a historical parallel to the White Paper era, referencing what he called the antisemitic statement by a British Mandatory commander who sought "to punish the Jews by hitting them in their pockets."

The foreign minister asserted that "the Jewish people have the right to live throughout all of Israel, no less than the British in Britain and the French in France." He called the Labour government's step particularly absurd given that Britain's Balfour Declaration recognized the Jewish people's right to live in the Land of Israel, including Judea and Samaria. "The boycott is a despicable practice, and the Labour government has decided to employ this practice while discriminating against Israel in the measures it takes," Sa'ar said.

Sa'ar rejected British claims as unfounded, stating that "contrary to the false declarations of the Labour government, no new decisions have been made regarding E1," a controversial area east of Jerusalem. He also dismissed assertions about severing Palestinian territorial contiguity as "refuted."

The foreign minister characterized Britain's decision as "crude interference in the election system of a sovereign state, an attempt to influence from outside during an election campaign." He noted that "the Israeli public massively supports Judea and Samaria and opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, something Labour is trying to impose on us."

Sa'ar accused Britain of one-sidedness, saying it "ignores ongoing Palestinian terrorism, which we saw again this week." He issued a warning to countries attempting to impose such measures: "You have no chance. Not only will you not harm us, you will also harm yourselves, and the Palestinians will be directly harmed by your actions. Many Palestinians work in the settlements, and these sanctions will hurt them."

He further charged that "the Labour government's steps in Britain have already made a significant contribution to the rise in antisemitic attacks in Britain, including violent attacks against Jews in the country. The Labour government is fueling antisemitism."

Sa'ar then detailed Israel's response measures: "In light of all this, I have decided on the following steps: closing the British consulate in Jerusalem, removing British representatives from the international headquarters for Gaza in Kiryat Gat, halting British activity in training Palestinian Authority forces in Ramallah, and preventing entry to Israel of British public officials involved in antisemitic and anti-Israel activity who deny Israel's very right to exist."

He concluded by noting that "Britain initiated and led the current move, and led it for a long time in advance. But we will also take countermeasures against other countries that act against Israel, at our discretion. The message to any government that harms us is clear: whoever acts against Israel, Israel will act against them, and they will lose their influence and relevance in the region. Steps against Israel will not go unanswered."