Britain went to war with Israel, but received an unexpected response

Britain tightened sanctions against Israel after the announcement of a tender for the construction of 1,234 apartments in the E1 area. London expected the project to be postponed until the elections, but Israel continued to advance it. Gideon Sa'ar rejected the British interpretation of the negotiations. The parties presented different versions of the content of the diplomatic conversation.

Britain tightened its sanctions policy against Israel after Israeli authorities announced a tender for the construction of 1,234 apartments in the strategic E1 area, located between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. The British leadership expected the project to be postponed until the parliamentary elections, but several days after diplomatic talks, Israel continued to advance construction plans. According to The New York Times, one of the factors influencing London's decision was a phone call between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and his British counterpart Ed Miliband on August 11. After the conversation, British officials concluded that the Israeli side would not advance construction in the E1 area before the elections. However, within a week, Israel announced a tender for the construction of seven residential complexes totaling 1,234 apartments. Gideon Sa'ar rejected the characterization of his conversation with Miliband as reported in the American newspaper. The Israeli Foreign Ministry also stated that the construction decision does not change the existing situation on the ground. On September 8, British authorities announced a ban on imports of goods from Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and introduced new sanctions powers against individuals and companies linked to settlement activity. The article explains the strategic importance of the E1 area for Israel and the Palestinian Authority.