Israel's response to U.K. settlement sanctions is a media-hyped nothingburger

Israel has responded to UK sanctions on West Bank settlements with punitive measures, including the closure of the UK's consulate in east Jerusalem and the expulsion of British representatives at the Kiryat Gat Civil-Military Coordination Center. According to the Jerusalem Post, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced these measures in response to UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's announcement of sanctions.

Miliband defended the UK's decision, stating that it was "the right thing to do" despite Israel's retaliation. He expressed regret over Israel's announcement, but asserted that the UK had "weighed up the costs and the benefits in advance." The sanctions were imposed due to a surge in settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

The UK's decision has been met with criticism from some members of the British Jewish community, with Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis describing it as a "dark day for British Jews." However, Miliband remains confident that intelligence cooperation with Israel will continue, particularly on Iran. According to The National Business, Miliband stressed that the UK would work with Israeli intelligence services against Iran, highlighting new UK sanctions targeting Tehran's nuclear programme and hostile activities.

Brief written by urgent.news from Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, The National Business, Dawn, Euronews — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.