Reuters and AP
The newspaper La Jornada
Saturday, July 27, 2024, p. 21
London. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said yesterday that the United Kingdom will not interfere with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) request to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The announcement is a setback for plans announced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who stepped down earlier this month when Labour snatched power from the Conservatives in a landslide election victory.
This was a proposal from the previous government that was not tabled before the election, and I can confirm that this government will not pursue it, in line with our long-standing position that this is a matter for the court to decide.a Starmer spokesman said.
In May, prosecutor Karim Khan charged Netanyahu, his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders – Yehya Sinwar, Mohamed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh – with committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.
Rejection of the ruling
Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the act as shameful and anti-SemiticUS President Joe Biden also criticised the prosecutor and supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, as did Sunak.
Israel is not a member of the International Criminal Court, and even if arrest warrants were issued, Netanyahu and Gallant would not be at immediate risk of criminal prosecution. However, the threat of arrest could make it difficult for them to travel. The ICC set a deadline yesterday for the government to object to the move.
Starmer’s decision puts the UK against the US, although his office described the decision yesterday based on a strong belief in the separation of powers and the rule of national and international law.
Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, was under pressure from his party to take a stronger stance on the current crisis in Gaza.
London has also been the scene of large protests against Israel’s actions and record levels of anti-Semitic incidents.