Simon Walters

Britain has warned Israel that it could expel 27 Israeli diplomats from the embassy in London if Israel follows through on its decision to close the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, where 27 British diplomats work.

British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters reportedly conveyed the message to Israeli officials, with London threatening to expel one Israeli diplomat for each British diplomat whose work at the consulate is terminated.

The closure of the British Consulate could come as early as this week.

Bestselling British author Jeffrey Archer, whose career as a pol- politician was derailed by a perjury conviction, has died aged 86.

Why do it now? Wait until after the elections because something might change, a senior Labour figure says.

The British ambassador in Tel Aviv, Simon Walters, was of the same opinion, delivering a very explicit warning not to move so quickly.

As a former Director of National Security for the Middle East in the Foreign Office, he had a deep understanding of the security implications.

More remarkably, Jonathan Powell, the National Security Advisor, was of the same view.

Added to this, there lurks a suspicion of Israel among the camel corps in the Foreign Office, including both younger diplomats and intelligence officers.

My first intelligence source says, there's always been a kind of T.E. Lawrence mystical fascination with Arab culture and Muslim culture and a disdain for Israel, and by extension for the Jews, who are seen as a bit too like them, a bit too white, a bit too bourgeois, a bit too trade, a bit too clever, a bit too hardworking.

However, it is understood that even senior foreign office officials agreed with the ambassador in Tel Aviv that now was not the right time to act.

In both the foreign office and MI6, the great division is actually between age groups.

Why do it now? Wait until after the elections because something might change, a senior Labour figure says.

The British ambassador in Tel Aviv, Simon Walters, was of the same opinion, delivering a very explicit warning not to move so quickly.

As a former Director of National Security for the Middle East in the Foreign Office, he had a deep understanding of the security implications.

More remarkably, Jonathan Powell, the National Security Advisor, was of the same view.