THE UK Government has put out a statement after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ICC’s ruling that there are reasonable grounds on which to arrest the Israeli leader for war crimes and crimes against humanity has led to immense pressure on the Labour Government, which is still supplying him with arms.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also facing calls to apologise for “condoning” Israel’s actions in Gaza, which experts say amount to genocide – although an official ruling on that has not yet come from the International Court of Justice.
The arrest warrants mean that the UK Government is legally obliged to arrest Netanyahu if he sets foot on British soil. The Rome Statute from which this obligation springs was incorporated into UK domestic law with the International Criminal Court Act 2001.
Asked if the UK Government would uphold these obligations or end weapons exports to Israel, a spokesperson did not respond.
Instead, the official statement from the Labour Government said: “We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern.
“This government has been clear that Israel has a right to defend itself, in accordance with international law.
“There is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy, and Hamas and Lebanese Hizballah, which are terrorist organisations.
“We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire, to bring an end to the devastating violence in Gaza. “This is essential to protect civilians, ensure the release of hostages and to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
