“There is no intention whatsoever to take action against friendly countries such as Germany and Italy,” an Israeli official said.
By United with Israel Staff
Israel is considering expelling British officials from the U.S.-led international coordination center for Gaza in response to mounting criticism and threatened sanctions from London, the Financial Times reported Thursday.
Citing multiple people familiar with the matter, the report said the Israeli government has discussed removing the United Kingdom from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, the multinational headquarters established to oversee implementation of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The discussions reportedly come amid deteriorating relations between Jerusalem and London over British criticism of Israeli policies in Judea and Samaria.
The Financial Times also reported that similar measures had been considered against Germany and Italy.
However, an Israeli diplomatic official firmly denied that portion of the report on Thursday.
“There is no intention whatsoever to take action against friendly countries such as Germany and Italy. It’s fake,” the official said.
The official did not similarly deny that measures against Britain were under consideration.
The report comes as the British government prepares to significantly increase pressure on Israel over construction in Judea and Samaria.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering imposing a sweeping ban on trade with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, according to British media reports Wednesday.
The Telegraph reported that Burnham could announce a complete trade embargo covering Israeli communities in the territory “within weeks,” while The Times reported that London is preparing “robust” new sanctions that could also target Israeli officials and individual residents.
“We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government,” Burnham said in July, calling for additional sanctions and consideration of measures “to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements.”
Tensions have intensified particularly over Israel’s E1 housing project between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.
Last week, Britain joined France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Canada in demanding that Israel immediately retract plans to advance construction in the area.
“The E1 settlement will undermine the prospect of the two-state solution by driving a wedge through the West Bank and harming the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian Territories,” the seven governments said.
The statement went further by warning businesses against bidding on Israeli construction tenders, citing potential “legal and reputational consequences.”
Britain has been particularly outspoken. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar that Jerusalem must halt the E1 plans, retract the tender and stop settlement expansion, while Israel’s chargé d’affaires in London was summoned to the Foreign Office.
Sa’ar responded sharply, accusing the British government of pursuing an “entirely one-sided” policy that condemns Israel while overlooking Palestinian terrorism, incitement and the Palestinian Authority’s payments to terrorists and their families.
“The UK Government’s decision to damage the relationship between our countries is deeply unfortunate,” Sa’ar said. “But Israel will not be a passive victim of this policy. Israel will defend its rights, its interests and its people.”
The reported discussions over Britain’s participation in the Gaza coordination center would represent another potential escalation in the increasingly strained relationship between Jerusalem and London.
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