Foreign Ministry officials on Tuesday responded harshly to the arrest warrant that was issued and subsequently rescinded against opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni. In the official statement, the ministry called the move “cynical” abuse of the British judicial system, reminding UK officials that promised to take the necessary action to prevent “extremist elements” from abusing the legal system. The ministry added that Israel and Britain are in a join battle against global terror, and permitting such actions is counterproductive.
Ministry officials warn that prompt and immediate action must be taken to rectify the situation to avoid damaging relations between the two countries.
According to a Guardian report, a warrant was indeed issued against Livni, referring to her tenure as foreign minister, accusing her of “war crimes” pertaining to cabinet decisions during Operation Cast Lead. Once it was realized that Livni was out of the country, British officials canceled the warrant, the report states.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he viewed the warrant seriously. “We reject this as absurd,” he said.
A statement by Israel’s Foreign Ministry warned that if Israeli leaders could not visit Britain without fear of arrest, then it would harm relations between the two countries and “seriously compromise Britain’s ability to play the active role in the Middle East peace process that it desires.”
Britain’s Foreign Office said the United Kingdom was not trying to hamper the peace process.
Livni had been invited to participate in a conference in England but turned down the offer two weeks ago because of a scheduling conflict, according to her office.
The arrest warrant was revoked once it was clear Livni was not in Britain, BBC News reported.
Livni’s office further said that they had no knowledge that a warrant would be issued when she declined the invitation.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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10 Responses
1. This involves lawyers filing nuisance suits, and occasionally getting someone in an official position to help. It isn’t quite so serious as it sounds.
2. Israel can retaliate by announcing that since Israelis can freely use the British courts (contrary to various treaties), Israel will not honor judgements of British courts. Israel can also announce the the UK (and perhaps the whole of the EU) can no longer be seen as neutral in the Arab-Israeli conflict (resulting in various forms of restrictions on their embassies and citizens – just treat unfriendly Brits visiting Israel the way unfriendly Egyptians are treated — tolerated but restricted).
3. Israel should use the occasion to demand reparations for British involvement in various past persecutions of Jews (denying asylum during the holocaust, crusades, etc.).
With akuperma on board Israel has nothing to worry about.
Besides that, Tzippi behind bars is a blessing on its own.
akuperma, you are lying. Nat Lewin and the Z.O.A. wouldn’t have jointly filed a Amicus Curia Brief if it wasn’t extremely serious. But, as usual, you will lie to suit your liberal agenda. What Livni is scared about is being arrested. What has that got to do with nuisance suits?
The truth be told that there has been a diplomatic disaster since before the formation of the State. It goes back to the British Mandate starting in 1917.
Time for cool heads and not to do anything irrational.
What Israel should do is issue a warrant for those British soldiers who fought in WW2. The Allies killed many innocent Germans.
This will show the real cynicism.
Also Tony Blair’s role as mid East envoy for the quartet should end because he’s responsible for the deaths pf thousands in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq
#2 well said
If Britain has the audacity to do this, Israel should retaliate and try British senior military and diplomatic officials. They have killed far more civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan than Israel has ever killed in its history.
Akuperma as usual is foolish. This is a very serious, and scary matter.
#3 – Calm down. Why does every other line in your post need to have an insult or an accusation? Why can’t we all learn to disagree without getting personal?
And how could you accuse another jew of lying? Maybe they simply didn’t know the facts, or maybe they know something that you don’t. We have a chiyuv to be dan every jew l’cav zchus.
#1,4,6 – What Israel should do is do exactly what its doing now. The last thing Israel needs is a diplomatic row with one of its few (and powerful) allies. Complaints are in order, but now that the warrant has been rescinded, lets not make a big deal about it.
As a British citizen living in the UK this is frightening and has ominous echos of events preceding WW2
They should have arrest warrants for all those Brits who mistreated Jews while Palestine was under their rule!
Hey Health, if what you said wasn’t so true, I would have laughed but it was very, very dangerously true.