UK National Security Adviser's Secret Israel Trip Failed

Britain sent its national security adviser to Israel in a secret visit last week in a last-ditch effort to prevent the closure of the UK consulate in East Jerusalem, three sources confirmed to Reuters. Jonathan Powell held meetings with Israeli officials, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement that would reverse Israel's decision to shut the diplomatic mission.

The undisclosed trip signals the depth of the diplomatic crisis between London and Jerusalem, which erupted after Britain imposed economic sanctions on Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria last month. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar responded by ordering the consulate closed, a move set to take effect this week. The consulate, which serves the Palestinian population and employs 27 British diplomats, has already dismissed dozens of local employees, and British staff are preparing to leave.

For Israel-watchers and Jewish communities abroad, the standoff reveals how quickly bilateral ties can deteriorate when Western governments target settlement activity. Powell's mission, conducted quietly to avoid public pressure on either side, underscores London's concern that losing its East Jerusalem presence would eliminate a key channel to Palestinian leadership and weaken Britain's regional influence.

The crisis peaked in early September when British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced a ban on importing goods produced in Israeli settlements and imposed sanctions on companies and individuals supplying construction services there. Miliband went further, accusing Israel of "ethnic cleansing" in the territory — a charge Jerusalem rejects outright. Israel's response was swift: Sa'ar ordered the consulate closed and expelled British representatives from the territories, as JFeed reported at the time.

Britain has since escalated its own threats. According to a message British officials conveyed to Israel, details of which reached Ynet earlier this month, London intends to expel 27 Israeli diplomats from the embassy in London if Israel does not reverse the consulate closure. The British ambassador warned that the policy would be "one diplomat for one diplomat," a move that could empty Israel's London embassy of most of its staff.

Israel had hoped Washington would intervene on its behalf. Two weeks after Britain led a dozen Western countries in sanctioning Israeli communities, Jerusalem asked the Trump administration to help stop the countries from quickly implementing their measures, according to The Times of Israel. No U.S. intervention has come. A draft statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemning the sanctions as BDS tactics was prepared but never released, reflecting a widening gap between the White House and pro-Israel voices in the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.

Powell's failed mission leaves both sides facing a diplomatic rupture with no clear path to resolution. The consulate closure is scheduled to proceed, and Britain's threat to expel Israeli diplomats remains on the table. Further updates to follow.