http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1134978.html
Last update - 00:00 15/12/2009
Israel confirms U.K. arrest warrant against Livni
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Senior officials in Israel confirmed reports on Monday that a British court
issued an arrest warrant against opposition chairwoman Tzipi Livni for her role
in orchestrating Israel's military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip
nearly a year ago.
The request for the warrant was submitted by a pro-Palestinian organization.
British sources reported late Monday that though a British court had issued an
arrest warrant for Livni over war crimes allegedly committed in Gaza while she
served as foreign minister, it annulled it upon discovering she was not in the
U.K.
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Livni served as foreign minister alongside Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and
Defense Minister Ehud Barak during the Israel Defense Forces offensive in Gaza.
The three figures comprised the "troika" of top decision-makers who charted the
course of the war.
Earlier Monday, Arab-language media reported that Livni canceled her
participation in a Jewish function in London after a warrant for her arrest was
issued over part in last winter's Israel's Gaza offensive.
Israel's ambassador to London, Ron Prosor, conferred with officials in the
British Ministry of Justice who told him that they were unaware of any criminal
complaint or arrest warrant against the former foreign minister.
Yet, further inquiries by Israeli officials revealed that a warrant had indeed
been issued.
Al-Quds Al-Arabi claimed on Monday that Scotland Yard advised the organizers of
the Jewish National Fund conference in northwest London that the former foreign
minister had canceled her scheduled address to the assembly over threats of a
possible lawsuit by pro-Palestinian groups.
The Al-Quds Al-Arabi report also said that a group of about 100 anti-Israel
protesters rallied outside the Hendon Hall Hotel on Sunday, just as delegates
arrived at the JNF meet.
Livni's office said in a statement following the report that her appearance at
the London event was canceled two weeks ago due to a scheduling conflict.
Livni's office also said that the opposition leader was proud of all the
decisions she made as foreign minister during the Gaza war, an operation which
she said achieved its goal of bring security to Israel.
A United Kingdom court two months ago deferred until further notice an appeal
by local pro-Palestinian groups to issue an arrest warrant against Barak, who
was visiting the country at the time.
A similar appeal was issued in 2004 against Israel's then defense minister,
Shaul Mofaz. At the time, Mofaz was granted immunity from international arrest
and trial - a precedent set by the British court, which until then had given
such protection only to foreign ministers or premiers <<0.gif>>
