According to Arab media reports, British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters conveyed the warning to Israeli officials, saying London could take reciprocal action if the 27 British diplomats assigned to the consulate were affected.
The British Embassy has not officially commented on the report, while Israel’s Foreign Ministry has also not immediately confirmed the reported warning.
Israel has ordered the British Consulate in East Jerusalem to close, following measures announced by Britain over Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and restrictions concerning goods produced in or linked to those settlements.
The consulate operates separately from the British Embassy in Tel Aviv and plays an important role in Britain’s political and consular affairs concerning Palestinians in Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
Britain has attempted to prevent the closure. National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell reportedly made an unannounced visit to Israel and held talks with Israeli officials, but no agreement was reached to keep the consulate open. Discussions are reportedly continuing.
Israel has also taken other measures, including removing British representatives from a US-led coordination centre related to Gaza, ending Britain’s role in training Palestinian security forces in Ramallah and imposing entry restrictions on some British politicians and public figures.
The dispute between Britain and Israel is largely linked to British measures against Israeli settlements in the West Bank. London says settlement expansion and settler violence undermine peace and prospects for a two-state solution, while Israel has criticised Britain’s measures as unilateral and hostile toward Israel.