British PM calls Israel's Livni over arrest warrant
(AFP) – 4 hours ago
LONDON — Prime Minister Gordon Brown told former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni on Wednesday that she would "always be welcome" in Britain, after a warrant was issued here for her arrest, his office said.
In a telephone call, Brown also reiterated his determination to change the law that allows British courts to issue warrants for alleged war crimes suspects around the world, amid an embarrassing diplomatic row.
Media reports said Livni, now the leader of Israel's Kadima party, cancelled a planned trip to Britain at the weekend for fear of being arrested. Her office said the visit was only postponed due to scheduling problems.
In the call from Copenhagen where he is attending the UN climate talks, Brown said he was "disappointed" that Livni had been unable to visit Britain, a spokesman for his Downing Street office said.
Livni's office said Brown had also told her that he opposes the arrest warrant, and expressed his determination to change the warcrimes legislation.
The warrant was understood to have been issued by a London court at the weekend following an application by Palestinian activists, focused on Livni's role in Israel's war against Hamas-run Gaza at the turn of the year.
It was withdrawn after she cancelled her visit, according to the BBC.
Israel slammed the warrant as a "cynical" move and summoned the British ambassador to lodge a protest.
"No high official will be able to visit the United Kingdom until this issue is resolved," Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon warned Wednesday, according to his spokesman.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband had expressed concern at the situation Tuesday and said officials were looking "urgently at ways in which the UK system might be changed in order to avoid this sort of situation arising again".
Judges here can issue arrest warrants for war crimes suspects around the world under the Geneva Convention Act 1957, without any requirement to consult public prosecutors -- something Miliband said was "unusual".
Foreign Office minister Ivan Lewis said Wednesday that Britain was "absolutely determined to make sure that this can never happen again".
"Because Israel is a strategic partner and close friend of the UK, it is absolutely essential representatives of the state of Israel can visit Britain freely to talk about the Middle East peace process," he told the BBC.
However, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign group said it was "shocked and appalled" at any suggestion of the law being changed.
"We should be proud of the fact that we can bring war criminals to justice in this country and we should defend that right," director of campaigns and operations Sarah Colborne told AFP.
She added: "It comes down to the principle of the independence of the judiciary. It is irrelevant whether or not an arrest warrant would be embarrassing or difficult for the British government."
In September, pro-Palestinian activists in London sought to have Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak arrested over his role in the Gaza war, but a court denied the request on the grounds of diplomatic immunity.
In 2005, a retired Israeli general, Doron Almog, avoided arrest in Britain by returning to Israel without leaving the plane that had landed him in London after he learned an arrest warrant had been issued against him.
The 22-day Gaza war killed about 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis at the turn of the year. An investigation by Richard Goldstone found both sides committed war crimes, and recommended that its findings be passed on to the International Criminal Court if no credible investigations are conducted.
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