00:00A major diplomatic confrontation is erupting between Israel and Britain.
00:05Israel, on Tuesday, announced a series of retaliatory measures against the British counter,
00:11including the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem
00:14and a ban on 12 British nationals entering Israel.
00:18The move comes after Britain join other Western countries in sanctions
00:22targeting trade connected to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
00:27Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, accused London of crossing a red line,
00:33calling the British government's actions interference in Israel's internal affairs.
00:38And with Israel's October 27th election approaching,
00:42Saar is accusing Britain of attempting to interfere in the country's electoral process.
00:47Israel orders British consulate closed and bans 12 UK nationals
00:52after Western sanctions over West Bank settlements.
00:56The diplomatic retaliation followed sharp criticism from Britain.
01:01British Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, accused Israeli settlers of what he described as
01:06quote, ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
01:10Saar fired back, calling the accusations outrageous lies.
01:14He said Britain's actions were morally distorted
01:16and amounted to blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state.
01:21The exchange marks a dramatic escalation between two countries with long-standing diplomatic ties.
01:28But this confrontation is not simply about words.
01:31Israel is now taking concrete steps against Britain's diplomatic presence and its role in Gaza coordination.
01:38Israeli Foreign Minister Saar calls Miliband's West Bank accusations outrageous lies as diplomatic row escalates.
01:47The most significant measure is the closure of Britain's consulate in East Jerusalem.
01:52The consulate is accredited to the Palestinian Authority and plays a role distinct from Britain's embassy to Israel.
01:59Saar also announced that Britain will no longer participate in a U.S.-led coordination mission for Gaza.
02:06The move could further complicate Western diplomatic efforts surrounding the Palestinian territories.
02:12East Jerusalem itself remains one of the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
02:18Palestinians claim the area as part of a future state, while Israel considers the entire city its capital.
02:25British, Canadian, and French consulates are facing closure as Israel cuts U.K. role in U.S.-led Gaza coordination.
02:34Israel is also targeting British individuals.
02:38Twelve British nationals have been barred from entering the country.
02:41Among them is former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, a prominent supporter of the Palestinian cause.
02:47Another is Zahra Sultana, who recently left the Labour Party alongside Corbyn as they moved to establish the left-wing,
02:55your party.
02:56Most of those named are members of the British Parliament.
02:59The decision to ban serving and former British politicians adds another explosive layer to an already deteriorating diplomatic relationship.
03:08Israel bans 12 British nationals, including Jeremy Corbyn and Zahra Sultana, as sanctions dispute widens.
03:16Jerusalem, the European Union of Israel, is found in the vast majority of all of the Zahra Sultana.
03:23Every government of the Zahra's government needs to deal with the agreement with Israel.
03:29The accusations made today by the Foreign Secretary in the British Parliament were outrageous lies.
03:38The confrontation follows a coordinated move by Western governments.
03:43Twelve countries, including Britain, Canada, and France, announced measures targeting trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
03:51The action followed a surge in settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied territory.
03:56Israel strongly opposes the international pressure.
04:00Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has campaigned on his support for Jewish settlements in the West Bank,
04:06making the issue particularly sensitive ahead of Israel's October 27 election.
04:11The timing of the sanctions has therefore turned a foreign policy dispute into a major political flashpoint inside Israel.
04:19UK, Canada, and France join settlement trade sanctions as Israel faces Western pressure before Israel's election.
04:28At the heart of the dispute is East Jerusalem.
04:31Israel captured East Jerusalem during the Six-Day-Six War and later annexed the territory, treating the entire city as
04:38its capital.
04:39But most countries, including Britain, do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the whole of Jerusalem.
04:46Britain, and most other countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, continue to keep their embassies in Tel Aviv.
04:52The United States is a major exception.
04:55During Donald Trump's presidency, Washington moved its embassy to Jerusalem.
05:00East Jerusalem remains a diplomatic flashpoint as Israel closes UK consulate in territory claimed by Palestinians.
05:07Now, the confrontation is escalating from sanctions to diplomatic retaliation.
05:13Britain and its allies say their measures are aimed at Israeli settlements and settler violence in the West Bank.
05:20Israel says those actions amount to unacceptable interference in its sovereignty and electoral process.
05:27The closure of Britain's East Jerusalem consulate and the entry bans against British nationals send a powerful message from Jerusalem.
05:35And with Israel's election weeks away, tensions over settlements, Gaza, and the Palestinian territories are becoming increasingly intertwined with domestic
05:45politics.
05:46What began as sanctions is now threatening to become a much wider diplomatic crisis between Israel and one of its
05:53historic Western partners.
05:55Israel-UK diplomatic crisis deepens as sanctions, settlements, and Gaza policy collide ahead of Israel's election.
06:17Israel-UK diplomatic crisis deepens as sanctions, Gaza, and the United States.
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