UK to expel 27 Israeli diplomats if east Jerusalem consulate closed, British diplomats expelled
UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell held talks with Israeli officials but failed to reach an agreement to keep the consulate open, Reuters cited sources as saying.
Labour MP Emily Thornberry has urged Britain to defy Israel's order to close the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem. Thornberry, chair of parliament’s influential Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed concern that Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband may comply with Israeli pressure and shut the consulate on Thursday. The potential closure has raised anxiety among Palestinians who fear other consulates, such as those in France and Spain, may face similar treatment if Britain capitulates.
Thornberry stated that the consulate's closure is a "blatant retaliation against Britain for standing up for international law" and called the order "illegal." She expressed hope that Israel would not proceed with the closure, emphasizing that the consulate has served Britons and Palestinians since 1838 and should not be dismantled by Israel.
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