5 hours agoIsraeli president to visit London amid calls for his arrest
Periskopi(9 months ago)
(9 months ago)Israeli President Isaac Herzeg will meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, as part of a highly controversial visit that has sparked concern among some politicians. In a letter addressed to Starmer on Wednesday, more than 60 UK lawmakers expressed <x0-> great concerns” about the visit [...]
In a letter to Starmer on Wednesday, more than 60 UK lawmakers expressed “major concerns about Herzeg's visit, citing his claims that “there are no innocent civilians in Gaza”.
Unlike Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, the International Criminal Court (GJPN) has not issued an arrest warrant for Herzeg, writes CNN, the newspaper Express broadcast.
But in their letter, lawmakers said they were afraid the president's welcome in London “risks suggesting that the United Kingdom is indifferent to its international legal responsibilities” under the 1948 Genocide Convention, including “preventing and punishing genocide and instigating wherever it happens”.
Israel is facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (GJND) in a case filed by South Africa. In its tests against Israel, South Africa listed several statements and actions by Herzeg, claiming to show genocideal intent. Israel denies the accusations.
Janina Dil, co-director at Oxford University's Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict, told CNN that Herzeg's visit does not necessarily violate the task of preventing genocide, because “in principle can be used to exercise British influence to make Israel change course”.
But Dill stressed that if the British government does not use Herzeg's visit to try “to influence the Israeli government to change the course, it is not fulfilling its duty to prevent genocide”.
