Israel Considers Expelling British Representatives From International Command Center in Kiryat Gat

Britain’s Financial Times reported Thursday morning that Israel is considering expelling British representatives from the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat (CMCC). The move would come in response to British criticism of "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy in Judea and Samaria."

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month that he would seek to advance legislation banning trade in Israeli products from communities in Judea and Samaria.

The British newspaper reported that similar measures are also being considered against representatives of the Italian and German militaries. An Israeli political source denied the report that Israel intends to expel representatives of Germany and Italy. According to the source, "There is absolutely no intention to act against friendly countries such as Germany and Italy. It’s fake."

 As a reminder, the center in Kiryat Gat was established as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. It includes military representatives from several countries around the world.

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the removal of Dutch representatives from the coordination center, following a series of anti-Israel moves by the Dutch government. Among other things, the new Dutch government passed a law banning trade in Israeli products from Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Israel also expelled Spanish representatives this year, citing the pro-Palestinian Spanish government’s "obsessive and anti-Israel bias."