History: Israel closes the British consulate in Jerusalem today
The last step in a series of four steps taken by Israel against Britain goes into effect today: the consul general and 19 additional diplomats will leave, and seven diplomats will remain in the building…
Assessment
Israel is following through on a threat to shut down the British consulate in Jerusalem, expelling the consul general and 19 diplomats while leaving seven in a reduced capacity with no consular status. This is the fourth and final step in a series of retaliatory measures against Britain. The closure is explicitly tied to British sanctions against Israel. Jerusalem has made clear the consulate will not reopen as long as those sanctions remain in place. Britain has agreed not to retaliate, suggesting a diplomatic understanding was reached to contain the damage. The key question is whether this escalates the bilateral rift or stabilizes it at a new, lower level of relations.