ISRAEL EMBARKED on a diplomatic offensive against Britain yesterday after it was revealed former foreign minister Tzipi Livni cancelled a trip to London when a British court issued an arrest warrant over her role in alleged war crimes during Israel’s war in Gaza last year.
Britain’s ambassador to Israel Tom Phillips was summoned to the foreign ministry in Jerusalem and reprimanded. Israeli officials told him Britain should amend its laws to stop such warrants.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a strongly worded statement, saying Israel will not agree to a situation in which former prime minister Ehud Olmert, defence minister Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni are sitting on the defendants’ bench: “We will not allow for Israeli soldiers, who heroically and morally defended our citizens from a cruel and criminal enemy, to be condemned as war criminals.”
The warrant was issued by a British judge following a request from Palestinian groups, but rescinded when it was discovered Ms Livni was not in the country. The Palestinian groups linked her to war crimes highlighted by UN investigator Richard Goldstone, due to her role as one of the key Israeli decision-makers during the three-week military offensive against Palestinian fighters in Gaza last year.
Ms Livni, who as head of the centrist Kadima party serves as leader of the opposition, yesterday defended Israeli actions, saying she had no regrets. “The operation in Gaza was necessary and restored Israel’s deterrence,” she said. “This is what any normal country that wants to defend its civilians from terror would do.”
Israeli officials warned arrest warrants harm bilateral ties with London and jeopardise Britain’s role in Middle East peacemaking.
The British embassy in Tel Aviv responded that London is determined to work for regional peace and maintain its strategic relationship with Israel. “To do this, Israel’s leaders need to be able to come to the UK for talks with the British government. We are looking urgently at the implications of this case.”
Israeli officials, politicians and former military officers have cancelled trips to Britain in recent years for fear of arrest.