Four Israeli military officials have indefinitely delayed an official visit to Great Britain after British officials were unable to guarantee they would not be arrested on war crimes charges. The officers were involved in Israel’s brutal offensive against Gaza one year ago—a 22-day massacre that killed 1,400 Palestinians, including 300 children.
British law grants universal jurisdiction to courts, allowing the issue of arrest warrants for those accused of war crimes committed anywhere in the world. In December 2009, Tzipi Livni, who served as Israel’s foreign minister during the assault on Gaza, canceled a visit to Britain after learning a warrant for her arrest had been issued.
Danny Ayalon, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, criticized the courts’ actions, stating that issuing warrants on behalf of the victims of war crimes “would impede normal bilateral ties.” British Attorney General Patricia Janet Scotland has said the government is looking to change the law. Clearly, it was never intended to be used against war criminals favored by the British government.
