UK threatens to expel 27 Israeli diplomats over consulate

The diplomatic crisis between Jerusalem and London is reaching boiling point. According to a message British officials conveyed to Israel, details of which reached Ynet on Monday evening, Britain intends to expel 27 Israeli diplomats from the embassy in London if Israel does not reverse its decision to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem.

The deterioration in relations peaked last month following Britain's decision to impose economic sanctions on settlements in Judea and Samaria. In response, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced a series of punitive measures, the most significant being the closure of the consulate in East Jerusalem, which serves the Palestinian population and employs 27 British diplomats. The decision is set to take effect this Thursday; meanwhile, dozens of local employees have already been dismissed, and the British staff is preparing to leave.

Alongside the consulate closure, Sa'ar's response included additional measures: removal of British representatives from the international aid center for Gaza operating in Kiryat Gat, cessation of British training activities for Palestinian Authority forces in Judea and Samaria, and a ban on entry to Israel for 12 British public figures and citizens involved in antisemitic or anti-Israel activity, or who deny Israel's right to exist.

Sources familiar with the details said the British were surprised by the intensity of Israel's response and were particularly angered by the short timeline, only 30 days' notice for the diplomats to leave. By comparison, the sources noted, even Russia gave Britain four months to close its consulate in St. Petersburg in response to an espionage affair.

Initially, the British refrained from public statements on how they would respond, hoping to exhaust quiet contacts behind the scenes that would persuade Israel to back down from its decision. When these efforts bore no fruit, British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters conveyed a clear message, according to the Ynet report: if the decision stands, Britain will be forced to expel one Israeli diplomat for every British diplomat forced to leave East Jerusalem.

Implementation of the British threat could deal a devastating blow to the functioning of Israel's embassy in London. The number of diplomats currently stationed there is only slightly more than 27, meaning an expulsion of this magnitude would empty it of most of its staff. The embassy's situation is already complicated, as it has been operating without an ambassador for over a year, since Tzipi Hotovely's term ended in September 2025, and is currently managed by chargé d'affaires Chris Cantor.

The British embassy declined to comment on the report.