Brown tells Livni: You're always welcome in Britain

Criminals are always welcome in Britain so long as they are favoured by The Daily Mail and so, of course, do not attempt to claim benefits. Here is a short list of other criminals who have enjoyed British freedoms so denied to innocents at home. Robert Mugabe Pinochet

M: "As I said, Spanish acted in the matter at the behest of Chili." That is simply untrue. The Spanish acted because Pinochet was a nasty little shit who had arranged for dozens of Spanish citizens to be murdered, and the Spaniards badly wanted a piece of him. Damn nearly got it, too. M: "Very simple and very unique." Look, I'm sorry, but that statement is not true: the Law Lords examined his case very carefully and made some very important rulings under British law including: (a) when does an ex-head of state have immunity from prosecution and when doesn't he, and (b) what the effect of his own state granting him a blanket immunity from their DOMESTIC law has on his immunity from INTERNATIONAL law. If you really want to educate yourself, rather than simply sitting around pontificating, then I suggest you read this: http://www.cas.sc.edu/poli/psrw/davidson1130.pdf

it is you who is trying to confuse things, deliberately so. As I said, Spanish acted in the matter at the behest of Chili. Very simple and very unique. As far as current trouble Livni and her friends pushing in press, I guess Mr. Saakashvily is being prosecuted for rocket bombardment of Tskhinvaly, and if Livni is granted absolution by merit of high post, it will give judge a face saving precedent to quash subpoena... Otherwise, as an linchpin of EU, Haague court will be under legal obligation to prosecute vigorously a man they hoped to find useful for future adventures. I would not be surprised if that man ends like Pinochet. He earned it, fully.

#39.'SINCE MOST BRITS ARE ANTI-SEMITES' I disagree with some of the antics of the Israeli Gov't and it's citizens. This is not a crime and doesn't make me anti-semitic, but reading some of the vitriolic remarks here, mostly from Israelis and Jews, makes me very angry. Does this make me anti-semitic or a Jew-hater-NO. Call me what you like but I have every right - just like you have -to be angry with ANYONE who spouts vitriol against my country.

M: "it`s a lie, Pinochet was invited to the court of justice in the country where he ruled." The British arrested Pinochet on a warrant issued by Baltasar Garzon for Pinochet's extradition to SPAIN for trial in a SPANISH court for the murder of SPANISH citizens. The period between Garzon issuing his warrant (1988) and the British finally refusing to extradite him to SPAIN (2000) was all about "universal jurisdiction"; the CHILEAN legal system was completely out of that loop precisely because Pinochet had immunity from Chilean law. The period between Pinochet's return (2000) and his death (2006) was entirely about CHILEAN attempts to strip him of that immunity so that he could be prosecuted under CHILEAN law i.e. that period had nothing to do with "universal jurisdiction". You are confusing (probably deliberately) those two legal processes during those two periods.

Thank you for clarifying that for ADSD. I tried posting to him,[but it was in Haaretz' sleepy zone] specifically asking in what way is the UK House of Lords an international court.

Well, covered in my hat. Linvi crimes and denial of them are all on video. I shall never forget her denial of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza when a doctor on the scene gave an appalling account of how shock- ing the situation was in the hospitals and on the streets. Dutch

There is Gordan Brown telling one of the most appalling human rights abusers in Israel she is welcomed in Britian anytime -yet he fails to extend that same welcome to the very members of Hamas who have every legitimate right to oppose her and her government's policies against their people. In addition, Tzipi Linvi is the same woman who father celebrated and commenorated the blowing up of the King David Hotel in 1946 in which 92 British military & diplomatic staff were blow to smithereens. I am sure many British families have a lot to say about the PM's open invitation to Tzipi Livni today, also. it seems very short sighted to me. Dutch

the UK is not relevant to either Israel or the US. They've got more welfare cases than the pals. A beggar nation w/ beggars to support. When was the last time the Brits won a battle or the pals for that matter? The UK is no expert on Israel's laws and has no say in them whatsoever. The UK is reduced to being a welfare state who can't find jobs for her populace. A weak, wobbly, old beaten toy soldier whose empire is zip.

According to the British laws Churchill and the whole British 1939 -1944 Government should be arrested because their self defence activities!

it's a lie, Pinochet was invited to the court of justice in the country where he ruled. It may have taken on an appearence of Spanish taking active part in it. But it was at the behest of Chili. This was a unique situation. Mrs. Livni is not in this situation. She is well covered and it would be in the mutual interest of all involved if the suject is dropped before it is too late and some irreversible ( or taking a very long time to reverse ) steps are taken out of ill will to cover for people who do no good.

Hi Michael- yes, I can well imagine just how unpopular Cast Lead and Israel is over there given the media coverage you receive. Pity for you guys that you are being manipulated by Arab money and control.Shops, schools, local councils and the media --all bought up with Arab money. Britain has become a hotbed of pro-arab activists and blind do-gooders who do their dirty work filled with convictions passed onto them by the Arab funded media. It is an eye opener to see just how Arab Britain has become- while the befuzzled Brits jump from one left wing cause to the other. Enjoy it now- because after the growing trend of understanding your Arab neighbor will come the time when the Arab neighbor holds the power ...............and then you will realise what you have done to yourselves. Oh well. tra-li-la- never mind.

Linvi is not the first Isreali head of state to be the subject of an arrest warrant in the UK, try Manachem Begin. And to the writer who claims that the jews were the first Britons, there are a few million Celts who would take issue with that claim.

#29: can you name a recent contribution that the Arab world has made to human kind? When is the last time an Arab receieved the Nobel prize in medicine, or science, or in any other field of modern human endeavour? So what id there are are 400 million Arabs or a Billion Arabs? All they seem to do is either live in opulent palaces with a harem of wives or they have nothing to eat. Israel is a nation of 6 millions. It has more Nobel prizes then the entire Arab nation of 400 millions. Very Interesting? It has more college and university graduates then any other nation on earth. And it is constantly contributing to the human race, through advances in technology and medicine. And it is supported by the nations that really count. The ones who haven't been taken over by the Islamofascists.

From Efrat to the UK and probably from the Nile to the Euphrates. Why not claim all the world? And you complain because Hamas only wants all of Palestine back!

"Magistrates (this particular type of Judge) in Westminster, central London (where the warrant for arrest was issued - Livni was due to be in London) are not allocated the cases they hear based on any submission, formal or otherwise from claimants in a case." But the lawyers who serve in those courts know which magistrate is hearing cases on which day so can effectively 'pick' someone they think will respond favorably. Lawyers in Canada, which also uses the British legal system everywhere except Quebec, frequently use this knowledge to avoid the 'hanging' judge for their clients, as do lawyers everywhere I imagine.

"Persia (aka IRAN) which gave the world the foundations of nearly everything we have today. Postage systems, tax, mass agriculture, language, animation, alcohol, medicine, etc, etc" I don't know about postage but taxes started in Iraq not Iran, as did agriculture. G-D taught Adam language before Iran or Persia existed, and alcohol...either Noah was first to make wine if you believe the Bible, or somewhere in Africa if you don't...animation?...I would have guessed Anaheim, CA. As for medicine, the native americans had medicine long before Isaiah prophesied Cyrus would be a future king of a future country who would free the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. As for "most of the valuable resources", Copenhagen is currently sounding a coming death knell on the value of oil and Canada has farrrrr more natural resources, including oil, than any Moslem nation. Check where the US gets MOST of the oil it imports.

SDHD: "The court was international, not a British kangaroo court, then released." The British arrested Pinochet because of a warrant from a SPANISH domestic court, which sought to have him extradited to stand trial under SPANISH criminal law. In no way was any "international court" involved i.e. ad-hoc courts such as those that investigated Yugoslavia. The question of Pinochet's immunity from prosecution WAS heard in a British court - the House of Lords - and it WAS ruled that an ex-head of state has *no* immunity when the charges involve crimes against humanity. That has very serious repercusions w.r.t. Livni, because the Goldstone Report did run up a red flag about possible crimes against humanity during Cast Lead. That Pinochet never faced trial was due entirely to his poor health. Livni has no such excuse; if she goes to the UK then she WILL be arrested, and if arrested the UK govt has no credible excuse for releasing her without trial.

how can brown speak for a nation? What he means is "the zionist element of his party supports livni" but don't ever believe the people of britian support Israel's sick adventure

The term 'settled' is highly debatable, winston churchill was not jewish and the percentage of muslims in Israel is about 8 times higher than in England. If you committ a crime you should be punished either that or change the law but if you do the latter then be prepared that other people who might committ crimes against you will not be prosecuted either. The posts earlier have a point, don't promote universal jurisdiction when it comes to those who persecute jews and then say it's bad when it comes to jews who break international law.

With respect, that's bollocks mate. Yes, we'd rather it hadn't had to happen but those that encourage terrorism were on the streets whilst the silent majority or us most of us agreed no country should allow their folk to get rocketed and have busses blown up.

MV: "When a judicial proceeding is initiated for political reasons - and that is exactly what this would be, a political trial - the innocent have everything to fear." No, it would be a criminal trial, and the charge woulld be "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity". 1) IF Livni were arrested in the U.K. 2) AND she were brought to trial 3) THEN she'd swing. And she'd swing because she'd be found f**king guilty as charged, Morris, not because she's an Israeli.

What? Are you telling me that the Jews not only have a God given right to occupy and colonize the West bank, but also the UK. Why stop there, no doubt you can quote a divine message from God that entitles the Jews to inherit the rest of the planet!

The Islamic Caliphate is not in a rush. They have their foothold in just about every European city. They will take over slowly and methodically. Just look at the birth rate statistics of as you refer to the "white non-muslims " vs the Asian muslims. The interesting thing is different European countries have different moslem immigrants. Germany has Turks. Britain has Indian and Pakistani, France has Moroccan and other old French colonial immigrants. Greece has Eastern bloc moslems. Switzerland is already on the hot seat. As far as your comment about the Jews making too much noise...well maybe you ought to listen to them. They are on the front lines actually trying to protect you. And the Jews have been living amongst you for centuries. If you go through the old statistics of welfare you will see that very few Jews lived off the welfare system. They built little businesses into bigger businesses. Just check out the roll call for muslim welfare families.

Livni & Co. are not rounding up tens of thousands of Palestinians to be gassed and burnt in crematoriums. People like you bandy about the word Nazi and have the nerve to compare Israelis to them. If you see them being the same thing then you are not intelligent enough to even have a opinion here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Golden_Age You gotta read some history bro. The golden age is Islam saw the invention of the dedicated hospital, optics, sugar refineries, the market economy, peer review, the list goes on and on. You should read Wikipedia, get an education instead of spouting off ignorant racist crap. By the way, although it was an Islamic dominated era, religious freedom was encouraged and many Jewish people were instrumental for the great leaps forward during that age. The last 100 years would be nothing without the centuries that preceded it. There is no surprise, Muslims, are after, made of the same flesh you are.

"The court was international, not a British kangaroo court, then released. He was subsequently arrested in Chile -- which actually HAD jurisdiction." ADHD The Court which gave the verdict on the legality of detention and extradition was the UKs highest DOMESTIC court of law ie;the House of Lords. NOT an International court as you babbled. Can't make out if you really are as thick as you sound. Of course Chile had jurisdiction simpleton. The whole point of 'universal jurisdiction' is to provide third parties who may not have a direct interest in the case the opportunity to press charges IF THE COUNTRY OF DOMECILE [CHILE}chooses not to proceed with charges. Chile only later decided to prosecute the miserable bastard having previously refused to do so. Had he not been deemed unfit whilst in the UK, he would have been extradited to Spain and tried there. "The Lords decided in March 1999 that Pinochet could only be prosecuted for crimes committed after 1988, the date during which the United Kingdom implemented legislation for the United Nations Convention Against Torture in the Criminal Justice Act 1988. This invalidated most, but not all, of the charges against him; but the outcome was that extradition could proceed". Wikipedia The law under which he would have been tried in Spain and extradited from the UK, IS International. The court under which his application for extradition to Spain was considered was NOT. ie. The House of Lords. As British as PG Tips.

The British Government cannot change laws to which they are signed under the Geneva Conventions - or to put war criminals above the law -as you do in Israel. Livni, Barak and Olmert and all the Israeli war generals are liable for arrest and prosecution, (as would any person responsible for war crimes -yes even Tony Blair or George Bush). Check this out for the details of why: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/16/david-miliband-tzipi-livni

As it did in Belgium once Arafat was sued.That's unacceptable to peacelovers and all kinds of pressure groups. The goverment stepped in and changed the legislation.

Don't forget the scenes of British police being chased down the street by peace lovers screaming obscenities and throwing objects.Somehow the BBC missed it. http://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/01/london-muslim-protesters-attack-police-run-you-cowards-kuffar.html Yes be proud!! http://www.snopes.com/photos/politics/muslimprotest.asp Enjoy the placards IN BRITAIN *"Behead those who Insult Islam" *"Europe is the cancer Islam is the answer" * "Freedom go to hell" * "Europe take some lessons from 9/11" *"Europe you will pay Your 9/11 is on the way. *"Be prepared for the real holocaust"

"Ironic how the Jews are the original British and how Winston Churchill was Jewish and yet we must experience Anti-semitism in the form of Anti-Israel activity pushed forward by Arabs who seek to take over England." .......Really? Is this common knowledge?

"The court was international, not a British kangaroo court, then released. He was subsequently arrested in Chile -- which actually HAD jurisdiction."ADHD The Court which gave the verdict on the legality of detention and extradition was the UKs highest DOMESTIC court of law ie;the House of Lords. NOT an International court as you babbled. Can't make out if you really are as thick as you sound. Of course Chile had jurisdiction simpleton. The whole point of 'universal jurisdiction' is to provide third parties who may not have a direct interest in the case the opportunity to press charges IF THE COUNTRY OF DOMECILE [CHILE}chooses not to proceed with charges. Chile only later decided to prosecute the miserable bastard having previously refused to do so. Had he not been deemed unfit whilst in the UK, he would have been extradited to Spain and tried there. "The Lords decided in March 1999 that Pinochet could only be prosecuted for crimes committed after 1988, the date during which the United Kingdom implemented legislation for the United Nations Convention Against Torture in the Criminal Justice Act 1988. This invalidated most, but not all, of the charges against him; but the outcome was that extradition could proceed". Wikipedia The law under which he would have been tried in Spain and extradited from the UK, IS International. The court under which his application for extradition to Spain was considered was NOT. ie. The House of Lords. As British as PG Tips.

I couldn't find any evidence backing your claim that Churchill was Jewish (especially with a name like that)! But maybe he was recognized as as honorary Jew, just like he was an Honorary citizen of the U.S. "He was the only British Prime Minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature and the first person to be recognized as an Honorary Citizen of the United States. (Wikipedia)" "Ironic how the Jews are the original British and how Winston Churchill was Jewish (Ben Kahan)

"Does being Israeli make one above the law?" Is a British kangaroo court above international law or the Arab Israeli conflict?

This is not a legal loophole, Livini is an alleged war criminal and in a just world she would be charged and tried. Brown and Milliband would like to pass a law which says only our enemies should face justice whilst our friends commit crimes. They want the law of the jungle, not just law.

Let me get this straight. The Israelis want the British to change their laws so that their politicians won't wind up in British prisons. If you ever had any doubt in your mind that the government of Israel was made up of arrogant deluded men and women, you now know

Netanyahu and Livni said nothing whenFeiglin was innocently barred from UK. Now they too get treated this way and well deserved for their lack of "kol yisroel areyvim zeh lozeh". If this was Begin or Shamir, the entire consul in UK would be closed indefinitely. Netanyahu and Livni don't see the Handwriting on the wall. If these are your friends England, Sweden , Germany, France why even talk to the anti-Semitic Palestinians. What happened to all Netanyahu wrote in his books about Islam? He is a spineless gutless hypocritical leader. After Barakat( Jeru Mayor) is now giving illegal homes by Arabs retroactive legality Bibi is "personally" going to handle demolition of Jewsih Buildings. He and Livni are nobodys!

show probable cause to believe that the IDF committed war crimes, and as the IDF is under the control of the Israeli government, whoever was part of the government at that time is also liable to prosecution on the same charges. Which is why the judge was willing to issue an arrest warrant (and seeing as Livni would have been there as a private citizen who doesn't have diplomatic immunity, could). And, because it is probable cause, and not proof, the ICC prosecutor will have to open a formal investigation when it reaches there (or, at his own behest, if the US vetoes at the UNSC). And a formal investigation is the one thing Israel can't afford.

re.: 'The innocent have nothing to fear from an investigation.' Well said! You are so right! If you are guilty -you get what is deserved! Like Dreifus or Beilis!

Can't make out if you really are as thick as you sound. Of course Chile had jurisdiction simpleton. The whole point of 'universal jurisdiction' is to provide third parties who may not have a direct interest in the case the opportunity to press charges IF THE COUNTRY OF DOMECILE [CHILE}chooses not to proceed with charges. Chile only later decided to prosecute the miserable bastard having previously refused to do so or to extradite him to Spain. Had he not been deemed unfit whilst in the UK, he would have been extradited to Spain and tried there. The Court which gave the verdict on the legality of detention and extradition was the UKs highest DOMESTIC court of law ie;the House of Lords. NOT International as you babbled in your post. The Law under which he would have been tried in Spain IS International. The court under which his application for extradition to Spain was considered was NOT. ie. The House of Lords. As British as it gets. "The Lords decided in March 1999 that Pinochet could only be prosecuted for crimes committed after 1988, the date during which the United Kingdom implemented legislation for the United Nations Convention Against Torture in the Criminal Justice Act 1988. This invalidated most, but not all, of the charges against him; but the outcome was that extradition could proceed". wikipedia

there is england and wales law there is scottish law there is n ireland law ther is no british law . the law invoked to obtain a bench warrant[ only available in england ] is not uk law specifically !! the idiot who issued the warrant against livni is an incompetent and should be named !

The North American Indians were wiped out by the "settlers" of the day. It happens all the time. Until we remove our masks, be it Jew, Arab, English, we need to respect each other and learn to live together.

"Israel is a strategic partner and a close friend of the United Kingdom. We are determined to protect and develop these ties," Miliband said. "Israeli leaders - like leaders from other countries - must be able to visit and have a proper dialogue with the British government." It looks like if someone is going to take your land and you fight back, you will be labeled a terroist and there is nothing you can do about it.

Israeli war criminals are now welcome in Britain. This will be an incentive for Israel to repeat the killing and mutilation of innocent Palestinian civilians living under the brutal Israeli occupation of their land. Many people fought to put an end to such attrocities. It appears that many of them died in vain.

"Ironic how the Jews are the original British and how Winston Churchill was Jewish ..." I thought I should repeat that claim so that anyone who missed it first time round could enjoy a good laugh and marvel at its sheer stupidity.

Israel can no longer act with impunity. The victim has become the villain

Well I guess you Settlers want it all - now you have the right to claim the UK as well? And from the Nile to the Euphrates? Anywhere else?

a court with backbone, the common drivel of the politicians, hope, that Livni regardless get punishment. hope...hope... hope....

michael savage is not welcome but an alleged war criminal is. what is wrong with the brits these days.

It is absolutely untrue that pinochet was let go by the british court system because he was incapacitated. maggie thatcher pulled the strings, and reminded the colonial british government of the day on how the Chilean dictator helped them win the war of Las Malvinas.

Can't make out if you really are as thick as you sound. Of course Chile had jurisdiction simpleton. The whole point of 'universal jurisdiction' is to provide third parties who may not have a direct interest in the case the opportunity to press charges IF THE COUNTRY OF DOMECILE [CHILE}chooses not to proceed with charges. Chile only later decided to prosecute the miserable bastard having previously refused to do so or to extradite him to Spain. Had he not been deemed unfit whilst in the UK, he would have been extradited to Spain and tried there. The Court which gave the verdict on the legality of detention and extradition was the UKs highest DOMESTIC court of law ie;the House of Lords. NOT International as you babbled in your post. The Law under which he would have been tried in Spain IS International. The court under which his application for extradition to Spain was considered was NOT. ie. The House of Lords. As British as it gets. "The Lords decided in March 1999 that Pinochet could only be prosecuted for crimes committed after 1988, the date during which the United Kingdom implemented legislation for the United Nations Convention Against Torture in the Criminal Justice Act 1988. This invalidated most, but not all, of the charges against him; but the outcome was that extradition could proceed". wikipedia

You need to identify your sources - if you really have any.

"Jews settled England thousands of years before Anglo-Saxons" Have you been drinking for Hannukah Chaim?!!!! The Anglo-Saxons arrived in Britain around 450AD. So according to you Jews were settling England before 1550BC!!!! Jews almost certainly didn't exist as a proper people by then, let alone chasing thousands of miles across Europe to reach England. I've no idea what you've been reading Chaim but you might want to read something sensible. And leave off that wine!

IF, and this is a big if, an Israeli were to be tried for war crimes in the UK (or anywhere for that matter), that would mean that yes, the UK would be required to start investigating it's own war criminal littered government, and the USA, and almost every government on the face of the planet would find itself gutted by the prosecution of war criminals (not that this would be a bad thing!). Until such time as we -collectively- decide we will not tolerate the criminal behavior of our so-called leaders, we will continue to witness and allow war crimes to be committed in our names.

The mistake is in the UK backing down and allowing this Israeli government a diplomatic advantage. It's a mistake because it gets this and the previous Olmert government off the hook of accountability. Its a mistake because it allows Livni's words denying the Gaza humanitarian crisis for which she and her government had a major responsibility to go unchecked -together with her insistence that the IDF destroy Hamas which would only exacerbate the crisis she denied existed and in a context in which the IDF could not and did not destroy Hamas but hundreds of innocent lives instead. As for Peres who loves verbal semantics...

The Goldstone report has identified multiple blatant war crimes committed by Israel in December January. The facts of the report have not had any challenge by Israel that I have seen. Livni is proud of her role in leading those war crimes- she has not distanced herself from them at all. Sucking up to Israel over the issue is the weakest response possible. Israel now needs tough love- it needs to be told by all its friends that its behaviour and occupation is outrageous and must stop. This pathetic sucking up will achieve nothing towards peace and must stop.

I think I read somewhere that her parents met whilst members of a Jewish terror group that was planning to attack British targets. She herself was a Mossad spy, apart from her involvement in what well may turn out to be war crimes in Gaza. Mr Brown doesn't speak for all Brits when he says she's welcome in Britain!

I am very thankful to live in the US.

Here's an idea....why not have someone smuggle into britain, a katuysha, or a grad or some similar rocket, and let it fly straight for london...then claim it was done in the name of the palestinians or islam, and let's see how british citizens feel.... you think people in london or all of england would stand for it? and that's from 1 rocket..imagine thousands...people like linwaithe have no clue, they only know they hate jews..which is just so laughable..who knows, maybe this 1 rocket would be lucky and hit his house, or his mothers.. the point is, you people in other countries have no idea about reality..you're all big talkers who quite simply, refuse to look at 1967, refuse to look at the founding of the PLO 3 FULL YEARS PRIOR to any occupation...(PLO stands for palestinian LIBERATION organization) ....what was there to liberate in 1964?

Tripi Livni's father a well known Zionist terrorist himself celebrated the blowing up of the King David Hotel in 1946 in which 92 British military staff and diplomatic staff were blow to smithereens. She is the last person he should be opening the door too..... I imagine many British families can tell of the great loss of their sons and husbands and fathers this woman 's family inflicted on their families too. Some hero he was as she noted recently... Dutch

Ironic how the Jews are the original British and how Winston Churchill was Jewish and yet we must experience Anti-semitism in the form of Anti-Israel activity pushed forward by Arabs who seek to take over England.

Just as Arabs have squatted on land in Israel they do the same in the UK with the intent of making it a Islamic nation. These warrants are a early clue to what is going on but good thing the British have the common sense to balance out Islamic aggression.

"The court was international, not a British kangaroo court, then released. He was subsequently arrested in Chile -- which actually HAD jurisdiction." Can't make out if you really are as thick as you sound. Of course Chile had jurisdiction simpleton. The whole point of 'universal jurisdiction' is to provide third parties who may not have a direct interest in the case the opportunity to press charges IF THE COUNTRY OF DOMECILE [CHILE}chooses not to. Chile only later decided to prosecute the miserable bastard having previously refused to do so or to extradite him to Spain. Had he not been deemed unfit whilst in the UK, he would have been extradited to Spain and tried there. The Court which gave the verdict on the legality of detention and extradition was the UKs highest DOMESTIC court of law ie;the House of Lords. NOT International as you spewed in your post. Read this: "The failure to incorporate international law on crimes against humanity within the domestic criminal law of a state does not excuse a state from international responsibility for failing to pursue judicial investigations." http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR45/001/1999/en/63cc2d71-e35a-11dd-a06d-790733721318/eur450011999en.pdf The Law under which he would have been tried in Spain IS International. The court under which his application for extradition to Spain was considered was NOT. ie. The House of Lords. As British as it gets.

Does being Israeli make one above the law? Must all laws be written with the Israeli exception? Was there any outcry when Pinochet was arrested? Did Israel and its leaders commit war crimes in Gaza and Lebanon?

What % of the Russian population was Communist at the time of the Bolshevik takeover? "If you could manage to venture outside London or Manchester you will see Britain is very British and in no danger of becoming an Islamic state in this century or this millennium"

'This is British law, if people don`t like it then they are most welcome to never come to Britain.' There is both the letter of the law, and the spirit of the law. When a legal proceeding is politically motivated - as this one is, a transparent attempt to delegitimise the State of Israel - the outcome is liable to damage both letter and spirit. If UK-based Palestinians truly want justice, they might, at very least, seek equity by requesting issuance of arrest warrants for Hamas' leadership, as well as for Israel's - for Hamas, by bombarding Israeli civilians, and by placing its own civilians at risk, are a full party to the mayhem. MV (ex-pat Brit)

Why is Gordon Brown opening the door to a known human rights abusers and a possible war criminal like Tripi Livni and closing the door to the democratically elected Hamas officials who have to de- fend themselves and their defenseless people against those appall- ing war mongers and oppressors? This a shocking double standard at work there and he shouldn't be allowed to get away with this either. I recall his people in the streets protesting against her government's escalation in Gaza and saying there was no humanitarian crisis. She should never be allowed to live that down. Never! We all saw the videos and heard the reports. Dutch

I'm confused now. I thought that all the poeple on here who didn't like the arrest warrant accused us of being Islamo fascist terror loving slaves of Muslims. But now we're going to change the law for you. WHich one is it? Just maybe its because it scares the *** out of our leaders who might face similar prosecution in other countries for their own alleged war crimes. Which they should. Never let justice get in the way of politics.

John from Montreal : an article in The Jerusalem Post of today addresses the issues you raise : "Analysis : Most ministers would face arrest in UK" by Dan Izenberg.

All of this Based on Livni's involvement with cast lead a resonse to constant bombardment in the egev by Pali rockets pand the haters and perpetrators of Palestinians go free un fettered , seems to be a one way street charge that Israel is targeting civilians, I remind you that during World War II, Britain carpet-bombed German cities. In contrast, Israel's air strikes have been directed against military targets.. Also note that Israeli hospitals are treating wounded civilians from Gaza. National Review Online, January 10, 2009?. In Toronto, anti-Israel demonstrators yell ?You are the brothers of pigs!?, and a protester complains to his interviewer that ?Hitler didn?t do a good job.? In Fort Lauderdale, Palestinian supporters sneer at Jews, ?You need a big oven, that?s what you need!? In Amsterdam, the crowd shouts, ?Hamas, Hamas! Jews to the gas!?

SDHD's self-sufficiency is inversely proportional to his rationality, knowledge and understanding. I'm sure that readers will not conclude that he represents what is best in Judaism. Nothing he has written on these pages measures up to the courageous work being done by the new historians in Israel and by activists opposed to Greater Israel lunacy. As regards the matter at hand, international law--which, for those fanatic Zionists who view it in jaundiced fashion, sanctioned the establishment of the State of Israel--gives wide latitude to a host of judicial venues for the investigation and prosecution of human rights violations, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the like. I am not declaring a priori that Ms. Livni is guilty of any such abuses. That would have to be shown in a court of law.

War-criminals will never be welcome in the UK, no matter how much in cahoots with the politicians they may be. I would have thought Israeli jews, of all people, would understand the importance of robust international laws designed to punish and identify war criminals. If Livni was not a war criminal, which she surely is, she would have nothing to fear from a court. Like most English people, I don't believe in sheltering or catering for those with blood on their hands.

The mistake is in the UK backing down and allowing this Israeli government a diplomatic advantage. It's a mistake because it gets this and the previous Olmert government off the hook of accountability. Its a mistake because it allows Livni's words denying the Gaza humanitarian crisis for which she and her government had a major responsibility to go unchecked -together with her insistence that the IDF destroy Hamas which would only exacerbate the crisis she denied existed and in a context in which the IDF could not and did not destroy Hamas but hundreds of innocent lives instead. As for Peres who loves verbal semantics...

we must adhere to decisions like the one the Americans and Bill Clinton madethe rest talk of chutzpah Terrorist pilot Mohammad Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986. The Israelis captured, tried and imprisoned him. As part of the Oslo agreement with the PalestiniANS and in 1993, Israel had to agree to release so-called 'political prisoners.' However, the Israelis would not release any with blood on their hands, The American President at the time, Bill Clinton, and his Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, 'insisted' that all prisoners be released. Thus Mohammad Atta was freed and eventually thanked us by flying an airplane into Tower One of the World Trade Center ... This was reported by many of the American TV networks at the time that the terrorists were first identified. It was censored in the US from all later reports.

As I said he is not liked. Partly because of his association with Labour but mostly because he is seen as insipid and opportunist, merely reacting to Vince Cable and the con[servatives]artists, culpable in the economic morass,an unelected leader etc etc. Haven't seen tuvia for a while harzion. How about dusting off yirmiyahu or avihai or zevelun...

Contrary to your assertion it would appear that our illustrious prime minister would seek to prevent legal procedings for political reasons. Now that is truly worrying. Fortunately our independent judiciary has time and again asserted its independence in the face of gov't opposition. You should hope that Cherie Blair never hears a case concernng Israeli human rights abuses. She embarassed her old man several times when he was in power with her rulings.

"No-one who commits acts that could be considered war crimes should ever be free to enter the UK without fear of arrest and prosecution. I don`t give a damn if they`re a democratically elected Israeli politician, a South American dictator or a Hamas terrorist, those who commit serious human rights violations anywhere in the world should face arrest and trial if they have the nerve to try to enter Britain." I guess if someone was firing rockets at your country on a daily basis, while hiding among civilians, you wouldn't have the nerve to do anything about it.

Livni won't be the last Israeli politician to be threatened with arrest. In the future, Blair, Brown himself and Bush may all be persued for war crimes. This is the result of taking part in war crimes...

There are no 'international courts' in the UK. You just made that one up! When in a hole, stop digging. LOL

....when it comes to other alleged war criminals in this world. Or maybe the problem is, that there aren't as many potential donors for the UK Labour party in Sudan or Zimbabwe...??? Oh well, politics and moral values....

"ISSUING A WARRANT AGAINST A MEMBER OF ANOTHER COUNTRY`S GOVERNMENT IS, AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN, AN ACT OF WAR AGAINST THAT COUNTRY." I doubt that but in any case Livni is not a member of the Israeli government.

There are many laws that are regarded as pretty stupid and descriminatory and this British law falls in to this category. It is an embarrassment for Britain to have Terrorist supporters using this law for their biased purposes. Cast lead may have been unpopular in Britain, but it was the result of deadly terrorist acts by Hamas and it`s supporters against Israeli civilians. Brits have a history of doing much more damage to civilian populations without the moral and legal obligations that the Israeli`s had in going after the terrorist planners who will not sign a peace treaty and demand the extinction of Israel.

This is British law, if people don't like it then they are most welcome to never come to Britain. No-one who commits acts that could be considered war crimes should ever be free to enter the UK without fear of arrest and prosecution. I don't give a damn if they're a democratically elected Israeli politician, a South American dictator or a Hamas terrorist, those who commit serious human rights violations anywhere in the world should face arrest and trial if they have the nerve to try to enter Britain.

'The innocent have nothing to fear from an investigation.' When a judicial proceeding is initiated for political reasons - and that is exactly what this would be, a political trial - the innocent have everything to fear. MV

An Israeli attack on the UK will entail a military response from the United States against Israel as a member of NATO. Also and this is kind of important. Tzipi Livni is not a member of Israel's government.

"Pinochet was arrested in London in October 17 1988 under a Spanish warrant and released in March 2000 on medical grounds by the Home Secretary Jack Straw without facing trial. The court was international, not a British kangaroo court, then released. He was subsequently arrested in Chile -- which actually HAD jurisdiction.

"Brown added that he intended to take action..." I'll believe it when I see it. The nations of Europe are behaving like the Roman Empire, so big and self-important that they feel they can dictate to and act against any country they wish, without admitting that they themselves are committing acts of war. ISSUING A WARRANT AGAINST A MEMBER OF ANOTHER COUNTRY'S GOVERNMENT IS, AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN, AN ACT OF WAR AGAINST THAT COUNTRY.

"He was arrested in CHILE, which had credible JURISDICTION." See #69 clueless.

Pinochet was arrested in London in October 17 1988 under a Spanish warrant and released in March 2000 on medical grounds by the Home Secretary Jack Straw without facing trial.

"as an acting PM ... at the time, Mrs. Livni is fully protected by existing international statues from legal prosecution." That is not true. Remember Pinochet? He had been a head of state but he was still arrested in the UK on a Spanish warrant. Unhappily, the UK later let him go free, on health grounds.

John in Montreal asks whether the judge in this case was specially selected - I presume that he wants to know whether the claimants had any influence over the selection. The short answer is no. Magistrates (this particular type of Judge) in Westminster, central London (where the warrant for arrest was issued - Livni was due to be in London) are not allocated the cases they hear based on any submission, formal or otherwise from claimants in a case. While I do not know the background of the jusge in question it is important to note that the English legal system does not have the equivalent of an "Investigating Magistrate" - one example of which is Spain's well-known Judge Baltasar Garzón so this decision does not reflect any personal initiative of the Magistrate and there is no reason to believe that another judge who happened to be sitting that day would have done anything differently.

Commenter #69 is mistaken, Pinochet was arrested in the UK; he was charged with war crimes in the UK. His trial did not go ahead because the most senior judges in the UK (the Law Lords) decided that he was too old and unwell to stand trial. This was no reflection on his guilt or otherwise and the judges specifically said that were it not for his poor health and old age he was have stood trial as normal - his previous position as a government official (in his case a head of state, no less) offered him no protection from the law as it would be applied to anyone else. As far as I know there would have been no reason why Livni could not have been tried had she been arrested.

The question is: Was this particular judge selected by chance or was he chosen by the lawyers for the "claimants"? (As is the case in Spain) Who is this judge, what is his backround and who are his frends? Would any british judge have also issued a warrant or would all other or the majority of judges NOT done so? I would appreciate it, if a jurist or someone in the U.K. could clarify this. Many thanks.

"Did you complain when Pinochet was arrested?" Was he arrested in a UK kangaroo court or was he arrested in Chile? He was arrested in CHILE, which had credible JURISDICTION.

The issuing of the arrest warrent in this case was not as a result of a legal "loophole" as has been described by some people; it was the legitimate outcome of a balanced legal decision carried-out following due process. The only mistake in this case is that the issuing magistrate accepted information given to him in court - which turned-out to be mistaken - to the effect that Livni was in the UK at the time. The fact that she wasn't has made the law look an ass. Had she been arrested we may have been able to determine whether she is guilty of the serious accusations made against her. I for one do not think that's anything to be afraid of.

"But the odd part is the attempt to blanket deny recourse in court of justice against people occupying high posts..." Consider it a matter of jurisdiction. Should this lowly UK court have jurisdiction over such matters? What about the Hague? Do you think a small claims court should have jurisdiction over a $50,000,000 patent infringement case? The British government will attempt to strip the court of this type of jurisdiction. What does a BRITISH court have to do with anything? If that's the case, ANY country's court can decide to arrest politicians over international affairs. The appropriate venue for such a matter are INTERNATIONAL courts -- namely, The Hague.

"The simple solution would be an amendment to prevent a Judge issuing such a warrant without the express approval of the Attorney General. That way none of this mess would have arisen." How bright of you! You want independent judges to be under a political appointee like an Attorney General? If that happens, the the PM and any serving minister will never face prosecution because they tell the Attorney General who to prosecute and who to leave alone! Ever heard of the separation between the executive, legislative and judicial branches in democratic countries?

I can't hear the protests of British Jews to this outrage. V. Akuna

i dont think that would sadden him. the fact is labour has been in power for so long the public is plain fed up with them. brown is the wrong person at the wrong time. still a very good man to anyone who knows much about him.

If you think that the british think they are superior, what do you think about jews that think that the are the chosen???

This far reaching power that the UK judicial system grants to an ordinary judge could be considered remarkable. I like that an individual closer to the public than the top has an avenue to be heard. It's quite impressive. Unfortunately, like all power it must be used responsibly, or it can be taken away. This judge who issued the arrest warrant did so for political reasons and so overstepped his authority. There must be a reasonable attempt to build a case against a foreign individual of high stature, in this case Livni. Many would argue that the Goldstone report with its massive amount of "data" would suffice. I do not. As a consequence, the British system will fall in line with the rest of us. Pity.

"Around 1860, which was probably when the country reached its zenith in relative terms, the United Kingdom produced 53 % of the world's iron and 50% of its coal and lignite, and consumed just under half of the raw cotton output of the globe". Paul Kennedy, Rise and Fall of the Great Powers. Oh the great colonial Power.

Apparently, a valid arrest warrant can't be issued until you're physically here anyway. So come and visit. See what happens.

Mr Brown told Netanyahu that Israel needed to hold an independent inquiry into the Goldstone report. He's still as popular as a face cream salesman in a leper colony though. As popular as Livni in fact.

it never changes - the english think they are superior to everyone else and that they can have such rules - let's see some fairness and see some other arrest warrents for other countries leaders

Since you appear to be soulmates - some words to both of you: 1. The former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan gave testimony to the UN (of course, it was ignored) stating that no army in the history of warfare has done more to avoid civilian casualties than the Israeli army in Gaza. If this is his standpoint I should think you Brits should be quite busy for a while prosecuting your own troops and politicians. Amazing you find time for somebody else! 2. Natallie, your remarks - while hostile, hateful, and misinformed - are usually more intelligent. Taking up your argument: Why don't you volunteer to stand trial for some of the unsolved LA murder cases, say in a radius of 2 miles from your home. After all, if you are truly innocent, what is there to fear? And yes, we Israelis are very much for prosecuting war criminals - true war criminals, not imaginary ones!

We are talking here about the relevance of the Moslem world. The period in history you are talkling about, during which the Persians contributed so much to the world and helped the Jews, they were not Moslems yet. As you know the Persions became Moslems much later.

"Which is a huge and important portion of the world." [Quote] Once again, I feel the need to correct your comment on how important the arab world is. I agree, the Arab population is huge; as to the second part of the statement...important? In what sense exactly? The Arab world, no matter what their medieval achievements were, are causing little impact on the modern world, either scientifically, politically, etc. They might not recognize Israel, but you know what is important? That the countries that really matter, those that impact the modern world (US, EU including UK, Japan, etc.) fully recognize Israel. So, stop your grandeur delusion about being an arab.

the british public just wants a change.he would in more normal circumstances be a very good prime minister.but as napoleon said " a general needs luck".

If you venture outside London or Manchester the rest of the country is very British? Try Leicester,Bradford,Oldham, Blackburn Burnley Birmingham etc etc not very British! The figure you qoute for the population of Muslims is way out of date and anyway it only refers to the legal immigrants

as Gordon Brown.

Israel is dear to America because it allows them to have a continuous presence in the middle east because most valuble resources of the world are in the hands of muslims. The fact that you call them terrorists shows how arrogant and racist you are. If you want a little bit of a history lesson, it was Persia (aka IRAN) which gave the world the foundations of nearly everything we have today. Postage systems, tax, mass agriculture, language, animation, alcohol, medicine, etc, etc. Want more of a history lesson? It was the Persians who liberated the Jews and allowed them to go to Jerusalem. So thank you for being so narrow minded.

sentimentality in England attacks on men wearing Kippas (headgear to you)you are nto aware of the anti JEWISH not just Israeli sentiment there.

obligations since san remo 1920! mandate 1922 anglo - american convention 1924 un charter 1945 article 80 read them pablo and then send an apology !

Brown, as on so many issues, is out of step here with what ordinary Britons want. We're not against Israel. We want Israel to be safe within its pre-1967 borders. But we also want Israel to stop targetting Pal civilian infrastructure and we want Israel to end its illegal occpuation of the West Bank and set the Pals finally free. Livni is welcome here IF she's not a war criminal and IF she wants to come to talk about peace, not just the usual hasbara rubbish about Israel being perfect and it all being the Pals' fault. Otherwise we're more than happy for her to avoid Britain. Plenty of war criminals from other countries apart from Israel do. I'm not sure why Brown's grovelling quite so embarrassingly. Maybe some fan of Israel has threatened to withdraw funding he needs for the general elction next year.

If what you are saying is true, she would have come. But she didn't. Do I have to spell it out for you?

The problem with the law under which the warrant was issued is that any third party can seek to persuade a judge that there is a case to answer. If the warrant is issued then arrest occurs. However the law is also that for a procsecution to follow that arrest needs the consent of the Attorney General. That is why I suspect it is easy for Mr Brown to tell Ms Livni that she is welcome to come to the UK...ie because the Attorney General would step in and prevent prosecution. Unfortunately as the power to issue the warrant is so widely drawn the law is open to use by anyone. The simple solution would be an amendment to prevent a Judge issuing such a warrant without the express approval of the Attorney General. That way none of this mess would have arisen.

Arrest warrants are good for Bemba (Congo), for Nazi leaders (1945), for Pinochet, for Rwandans, etc... but not for Israel. I'm dying to see how the Brit govt. will manage this one: "No one is above the law... except for Israelis". If Brown dares trying to explain how this is legitimate, he will lend a terrific legacy of his short rein. After Blair, who admitted that he would have bypassed International law to attack Iraq even if that State did not hold any WMD (while Israel does), the Brits will face yet another crippled PM taking on his own tribunals to protect Israelis... Tell me Mr. Brown, how can you explain such a move while you are for the indictement of Bashir in Sudan!!!

No, the Minister can't do anything by himself. But Parliament can and should. The legal system should not be manipulated for the ends of interests groups, whether Pal or Jewish or environmental or those that favour prostitution or pedophilia. There are fundamental checks and balances that are circumvented when prosectutions are initiated by private groups. If you think for 1 second that the Pal groups don't have political goals and are balanced about what they are doing, you need to find your meds.

Yah, sure, British justice is above politics. Unique country, eh!

Sam, you are obviously reading what you want to read. In any event, even if true, the fault is that of Hamas. If Hamas chooses, as has been confirmed by independent sources, to secrete its weapons and its fighter in civilian areas, then Gazan's have to deal with that problem. Israel has to protect its civilians and can't do so by waiting for the rockets to fall and the bombs to explode in restaurants in Israel.

The word is "hubris" not "huberis"...

David Milliband has conducted British foreign policy in an openly pro-Israel bias. The British government cannot be considered as an honest and neutral player in the conflict between Palestinian and Israelis.

Sir, We all should arrest and prosecute people for crimes against humanity - antisemitism is recognized as such crime. Since most Brits are antisemites - any British luminary should be given opportunity in Israel to prove he is not. I would start with Her Majesty on her next visit to HLand.

17 is right. Moslems are not relevant to the world. Just look at the world's progress in the past 100 years. What have the Moslems contributed aside from terrorism and violence? A big ZERO! If the Moslems did not have any oil no one would even care about them. Just check out the Nobel prize list of the past 50 years. Israeli and Jewish discoveries in all kinds of fields from medicine, to agriculture, to electronics are stunning. The democratic West (the relevant countries) knows how important Jews and Israel are to the world. The fact that George Brown runs to apologize to Livni is a good indication of how dear Israel is to the West. You may not like this, but that is the reality.

"President Shimon Peres said the arrest warrant was one of Britain's biggest political mistakes in recent years." Huberis, thy name is Israel

For years he has been saying he will change the law. You need to get it through UK parliament and Brown is not a man of his word. UK labour party took down Blair over the lebanon war not the iraq war which shows their obsession with Israel. Labour wants labels on food from settlements but doesn't do the same thing with kashmir.

"Arab-dominated Islamofacist England" Ridiculous scare-mongering on your part. I've lived in London and you can take it from me, we certainly aren't "arab-dominated" What are you "dominated" by in Brasil, one wonders...?

Did BROWN take the oath to uphold the laws of the UK? How can a PM of UK speak against the decisions of an independent British judge? British voters should press BROWN on this issue!

Are you somehow metaphorically comparing 1/3 of the entire worlds population to mice? I.e. your saying they are irrelevant?

The law in the UK is decided by the courts, NOT by governments or ministers (though they try to influence it all the time). This particular one has already been tested, in relation to Pinochet and international law, and was not overturned or found to be at fault. The basic presumption is that war criminals cannot be allowed to travel with impunity to avoid being arrested and should not be shielded by compliant governments. There does not appear to be any complaint from Israel when it is former Nazis who are being picked up and extradited. There are a lot of Serbs, Rwandans and Sudanese who would be well-advised not to arrive on these shores. Why would war criminals from another place be treated differently exactly? Peres giving the UK a lecture is not such a wise way to proceed either. The courts don't like being lectured or threatened by politicians, particularly from small nations with war crime charges pending.

Mice does not recognize Humans as a valid sovereign species. "Anyone care to predict the future" of Humans?

Gordon Brown has telephoned Livni and said "that Livni was "most welcome" in Britain at any time and that he planned to work to change the current legal situation. Sooner or later there will be no more of this nonsense and Israeli leaders wil be able to travel without worry to the UK. So to all those who think that any Israeli is going to be arrested in Britain think again. It will never happen and never be allowed.

So majority of the Islamic world dont even recognise Israel as a valid sovereign nation. Which is a huge and important portion of the world. But in the mean time, Israel plans to boycott the Uk (for this event), Sweeden (for its president), Ukraine (for the scientist who claims Israel sells childrens organs or something like that), Russia (for selling iran the S300), Venezuela (for its pro iran stance), USA (for saying the illegal settlements should be stopped) and finally Brazil (because they called Israel a rogue state)..... Anyone care to predict the future of Israel?

No one is above the International Laws including Peres.

What a country expel the Jews for 400 years and than when finally they have their homeland back after Crusades, pogroms expulsions, Inquisition, etc. they threaten the leaders for defense against rockets. Why don't they(UK leaders) arrest themselves for defending themselves against "the blitz".

I'm ashamed to be British right now, these pseudo-freedom loving judges condemn only one protagonist of two side in a conflict who made 40,000 victims on both sides while no Sudani official has been condemned for the 600,000 dead in Darfur. Shame on Britain and the foolishness of its 'lawyers'.

Can you image Tony Blair being arrested when he comes to Israel? How stupid!

We see Israels usual double standard at work. The innocent have nothing to fear from an investigation.

opposing other countries' rights to self defense. It was called British eccentricity - the kind way to indicate ideation difficulties.

someone who is not a criminal. Remember, the Gaza offensive is still awaiting an international court case to decide if war crimes and crimes against humanity occured, and if such a case is not heard in the international arena then it could be heard in any country.

The Goldstone report which has been ratified by the UN Human Rights committe clearly proves evidence of war crimes. Livni who was part of the perpetrators of these crimes must be brought before a lawful court to answer these charges. Where is the problem?

Let me start off by saying I don't think Livni would be convicted. You would have to prove she was specifically responsible for specific war crimes in Gaza and I think that's extremely unlikely. However, the fact of the matter is that at the moment, the only country this situation seems to be a problem with is Israel. Did you complain when Pinochet was arrested? I cheered. Would you complain if an Arab war criminal like the Sudanes Preseident or a Hamas leader was arrested? I wouldn't. I would cheer. The fact that Israel is democratic doesn't make any difference. A crime is a crime. People like Hamas leaders or Balkan war ciminals know they can be arrested here which is why they don't come here or if they do, they do it in secret. People talk about Obama being arrested or NATO leaders. For a start I see no evidence that could or would happen - judges won't just arrest anybody - but if they've committed crimes, then good.

at the time, Mrs. Livni is fully protected by existing international statues from legal prosecution. This is nothing but a sham, a quid pro quo setup for somebody un - named who is in deep legal trouble and seeking to tinker with English laws to avoid prosecution. Mrs. Livni actions prove to be a lot worse than the worst one could hope for. Such a well educated and good looking woman? and so much trouble ( in worst meaning of the word ).

Between the terror bombing of the civil populace of Dresden and Hamburg by Lancaster bombers, to the fostering of policies causing starvation in the colonial world, Britain has caused 10,000 times more collateral damage than Israel. For the hypocritical Brits to now get all "righteous" about the inadvertent deaths of a few hundred civilians in Gaza during battle, however tragic that was, is more demeaning to the Brits than to the Israelis.

But do you support Israel's treatment of the Palestinians Richelle? As long as Palestinians don't enjoy any rights under Israeli law they are more than welcome to try their cases in England as far as I'm concerned. Livni was scheduled to address the Jewish National Fund, perhaps you support this organization as well.

Nobody should be above the law. If in fact Israel has violated the law as defined in Britain, Israeli officials (as everyone else) should be as liable for legal action as everyone else.

Cast Lead may have been unpopular here. But is was extremely popular in Southern Israel. I think that if Newcastle had sustained rocket fire for seven years from say Scotland then as similar operation here would have been very popular. It is very easy to condemn from an arm chair thousands of miles away but another story from where the action actually is. Also it is not a trivial matter that a former foreign minister of a democratic state has difficulties travelling to the UK. It is a disgrace and Britain's official statement issued by the foreign office certainly seems to realise that it has gone too far. There is no doubt that sooner or later this law will be changed.

I am so tired of arguing this with patently misinformed Israelis and American Jews (occasionally Evangelical Christians too). Demographics: Britain is 95% white. Of the 3% non-white population (that is out of 65 million is 3.25 million) 1.5 million are Muslims of mostly South Asian origin. So out of Britain's population 2.3% is Muslim. If you could manage to venture outside London or Manchester you will see Britain is very British and in no danger of becoming an Islamic state in this century or this millennium. Stop believing the hyperbole already. Its tiring. And fact is the greater intolerance there is to Muslims in Europe the higher the intolerance to Jews. Also Jews are also a tiny minority that makes a disproportionate amount of noise for its size like the Muslims. I hope that clears up some misconceptions about Europe's impending fall to Islam, which is an utterly ridiculous lie by that intellectual light-weight Samuel Huntington

"legal harassment - If it`s legal, it`s not harassment" In this case the implied meaning of "legal" is pertaining to law, not permitted by law. "Can a British foreign minister go above the entire legal system of his country?" He said the law should be changed. I believe such action is entirely within legal system of his country.

is the push for the partition of Palestine stemming from the Balfour Declaration.....

No doubts the legal loophole that allowed this was a terrible blunder...but I have to say the swiftness with which Britain has moved to resolve this problem is very admirable...I dont think this has anything to do with the British people, it is the narrow interests of a small group. Having said that Shimon Peres would do well to have kept his big mouth shut, the situation is sensitive enough without him screwing things up.

Hang on there Chris. I'm a British citizen and I don't like this at all. The Palestinian group are using a loophole in UK law to play their politics. This in turn, could create problems between the UK and Israel. I do not wish the legal system here to be the tool of foreign interest powers for their own political ends. Neither do I wish to see Israelis boycott UK products. We are in a recession dude!

"legal harassment" If it's legal, it's not harassment. It's an indictment for war crimes. Can a British foreign minister go above the entire legal system of his country? Woe to us all if this is so.

You say "Boycott the United Kingdom. Enough already". Excellent suggestion. I'll do the same. I have relatives in London with such corrupt legal, banking & government systems there seems no reason to stay...

If you have done nothing wrong then you have nothing to fear in the UK. On the other hand if you instigated a potential war crime that could not fairly be heared in the country of origin then don't come to the UK, simple really! MY real concern is not that the warrant was issued (secretly, btw is the normal for warrants) but that news of the warrant was made public. They are meant to be secret for a reason, so that law can prevail. But thank you Peres for highlighting your disgust at the UK for treating Israeli MPs the same as everyone else. Just a gentle reminder that noone is above the law in the UK(mostly anyway)

they are planning to arrest former PM ( she was acting PM of Israel at the time, due to ongoing prosecution of Olmert, please stop lying about "FM" ) which is somewhat ok, in a perverse sense of a word... I mean you can't take away people power to sue, on a whim, and if you do, it should probably be worded as a "defense of nation from ongoing rocket bombardment"... I mean do we need to have international spat to argue of this matter? But the odd part is the attempt to blanket deny recourse in court of justice against people occupying high posts... I mean if Obama is raping today children, than if this measure is come to pass, he will be unreachable to the court of law. I will leave it to Mr. Obama and his innocence to complain over my rude words, my point is not to humiliate Mr. Obama. It just some of his peers at the pinnacle of power do not hesitate of taking advantages that should be possible to prosecute, no questions asked... Better arrest Livni than loose this.

Sorry mate, but this one, even if it is a mistake, is tiny compared to something like invading Iraq! I'm still not quite sure why everone's taking this so seriously. So an ex-Israeli foreugn minister MIGHT have been interviewed by the police and then MIGHT, but probably wouldn't have been detained. Milliband's made a bit of a fool of himself by promising Israel something he can't deliver and all that happens now, is senior Israelis connected with Cast Lead continue to avoid Britain and anyone else with similar laws, as they have been doing for years. No Brits care that Livni won't be making speeches here soon, and no Brits care that Blair might be arrested and tried. Many of them would be happy to see it. Does Israel really want to pick a fight with a key member of the EU over such a trivial non-event? What wil it achieve? Kicking up a fuss makes it less likely the UK government will quietly be able to change the law, since Cast Lead was EXTREMELY unpopular over here.

becomes part of the Radical Evil Axis? 20 years? 30 years? Good luck, young Britons....

I read this quote from a blog on this paper yesterday with thanks to examiner. "Using white phosphorous in built up areas resulting in appalling injuries and deaths to women, the elderly and children should never get a free pass from so called freedom loving countries. Nor should the deliberate destruction of food production facilities and water treatment plants. All this was outlawed because of the heinous tactics of the Nazis. How ironic." well said examier, many of the tactics they use can be traced back to the nazis and aperthied south africa and deserve jail time for the architects .

and if Peres and Israel don't like it. Boycott the United Kingdom. Enough already