Israel to close UK consulate in Jerusalem after Miliband accused settlers of ‘ethnic cleansing’

Israel have hit back

Earlier today, Ed Miliband announced sanctions on Israeli goods produced in the West Bank saying that settlers are committing "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians.

Speaking in the House of Commons today (8 September), the foreign secretary said that the government's argument is "not with the people of Israel, with whom the UK has unshakeable bonds".

"Our argument is with the conduct of its government," he said.

He highlighted the Israeli settlements in the West Bank that have been deemed illegal by international law.

Miliband pointed out how "more settlements have been approved under the four years of this Israeli government than in the previous 20 years".

He added: "Ethnic cleansing is defined by the UN as 'a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas'.

"The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank - perpetrated by settler terrorists.

"And all too often, the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this and worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians."

In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said: "A united Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Israel, and it is under the full sovereignty of Israel... Any foreign activity in the region must be made in the conventional and agreed-upon ways, without any intervention in Israeli sovereignty."

Saar also announces that 12 publicly elected British officials will also be banned from entry into Israel, whom Saar accuses of being "involved in anti-Israeli and antisemitic activities".

"A united Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Israel, and it is under the full sovereignty of Israel... Any foreign activity in the region must be made in the conventional and agreed-upon ways, without any intervention in Israeli sovereignty," Saar said.

The closure is significant because the consulate represents the UK government in the West Bank and Gaza, working on "political, commercial, security and economic interests between the UK and Palestine".

It comes as Israel’s minister for national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said that the Falklands are “Argentine territory under occupation” and called for “sanctions” against Britain following reports yesterday of Miliband's anticipated condemnation of Israel's government.

“It's time for the State of Israel to publicly recognise that the Malvinas Islands are Argentine territory under occupation, which the British violently steal from the Argentine people”, Ben-Gvir wrote on social media.

“The British are not content with merely occupying the territory; they also carry out oil drilling there and steal the money from the Argentine people”, the Israeli minister wrote.

“I call upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognise Argentina's sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands and to impose sanctions on Great Britain as long as the occupation continues”, he added.