Sa’ar threatens retaliation if UK imposes West Bank settlement sanctions

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warns that Israel has “tools” with which it “will act against” the United Kingdom if London imposes sanctions on Jerusalem over its E1 settlement project.

“If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain,” Sa’ar says in a segment of a Hebrew-language podcast interview with Ynet, aired shortly after British Foreign Secretary reiterated that London plans to unveil a “comprehensive” package of measures targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank in the coming weeks in response to the project.

Asked how concerned he is about the prospect of sanctions, Sa’ar stresses that Israel will respond and charges that any British measures would be politically motivated.

“There is a government there that is systematically acting against Israel. It has already harmed defense exports to us and imposed sanctions on ministers. What guides it is its domestic politics, and at the end of the month the Labour Party conference is convening,” he says.

Pressed on how Israel would respond, Sa’ar declines to elaborate, saying only: “There are tools..I’m saying this clearly and unequivocally. If they act, I think they will be making a major mistake. It will work the opposite way from how they may be dreaming it will work.”

Pressed further, he says: “Why hint at it? What I’ve said is enough. We are preparing. If they make a mistake, there will be a response.”

A source with knowledge of the matter told The Times of Israel last week that Sa’ar warned Miliband that Israel would respond to British sanctions with punitive measures of its own.

Those could include the expulsion of British officials from the International Gaza Support Center, as well as more extreme steps, the source said.