Israel has announced retaliatory measures against the UK following London's sanctions, as reported by infohub.kz.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced on the previous day a ban on trade with Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal. London will take action against companies operating in the settlements and will also prohibit advertising of any goods or services linked to the settlements, he stressed. At the same time, according to the British minister, trade with Israel itself within its legitimate borders will not be restricted.
Israel's Foreign Ministry stated that the restrictions imposed by the UK's Labour government, along with "biased and one-sided anti-Israeli rhetoric," have already significantly contributed to an unprecedented rise in anti-Semitic attacks on British Jews. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar noted that London's measures also constitute interference in Israel's elections, scheduled for late October.
"With the consent of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I have decided... to close the British consulate in Jerusalem as part of a series of Israeli retaliatory measures against the new sanctions of the UK's Labour government," the Foreign Minister said.
The retaliatory measures also include removing British representatives from the international center for aid and monitoring the situation in Gaza in Kiryat Gat, ending British activities in training Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank, and banning entry into Israel for 12 British elected officials and other UK citizens involved in "anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli activities."
Earlier, the UK also imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.