Labour will not challenge Netanyahu’s arrest
The Government will not object to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) application for an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu.
Downing Street said this morning that the Government would not be taking the previous administration’s proposal forward.
Rishi Sunak’s government had told the ICC it intended to submit arguments questioning whether the ICC had the right to order the arrest of Israeli nationals.
It said applications for arrest warrants were a “matter for the court to decide on”.
Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor, in May requested arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, over Israel’s war in Gaza.
But Mr Sunak at the time described the move as a “deeply unhelpful development”, adding that it would “make absolutely no difference in getting a pause in the fighting” or getting the aid into Gaza or hostages out.
The court had given the British government until Friday to decide whether or not it would pursue its legal bid.
A spokesman for No 10 said: “This was a proposal by the previous government which was not submitted before the election, and which I can confirm the Government will not be pursuing in line with our long standing position that this is a matter for the court to decide on.”
She added: “The courts have already received a number of submissions on either side, so they are well seized of the arguments to make their independent determinations.”
The decision was met with criticism from the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies, which called it a “regretful and regressive step”.
In a joint statement, the organisations said: “The decision comes at a time where many in the Jewish community are still assessing how this government will in practice stand by its words, delivered when in opposition, to support Israel’s right to self-defence.”
They cited the decision to restore UK funding to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA), which had British funding cut off after Israel claimed dozens of workers from the agency took part in the Oct 7 attacks by distributing ammunition, abducting hostages and coordinating transportation.
But David Lammy announced that he would see the funding reinstated, telling the Commons that “no other agency can deliver aid at the scale needed”.
“We are concerned that the cumulative effect of these announcements, in quick succession, signal a significant shift in policy, away from Israel being a key UK ally,” the groups added.
Amnesty UK supported the Government’s move, as Sacha Deshmukh, the chief executive, said: “This was a totally misguided intervention by the last government and we strongly welcome the decision to drop it.”
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which assists the organisation of the regular demonstrations in central London, also welcomed the change.