Israeli military team calls off trip to Britain, fearing arrest on war crimes charges

War crimes fears force Israelis to cancel UK trip

JERUSALEM — A group of Israeli military officers called off an official visit to Britain last week, fearing they could face arrest on war crimes charges, officials said Tuesday.

The four unidentified officers, holding ranks from major to colonel, are the latest in a string of Israeli politicians and military officials forced to call off travel to Britain over fears of legal prosecution relating to last year’s offensive on the Gaza Strip.

Britain is one of the European pioneers of universal jurisdiction, a broad legal concept that empowers judges to issue arrest warrants for nearly any visitor accused of committing war crimes anywhere in the world.

Pro-Palestinian activists have sought to use this concept to press charges against Israelis involved in military operations in Palestinian territories, particularly since last year’s Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. British officials have vowed to change the law.

The announcement of the cancellation came as Britain’s attorney general, Patricia Janet Scotland, was in Israel on a private visit. She met Tuesday with Israeli deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who called the situation “intolerable,” according to a statement from his office, adding, “this makes normal relations between the two countries difficult.”

The statement said Scotland “stated that she is aware of the importance of finding an urgent solution to this issue” and said her government was considering options to resolve it.

The Israeli delegation had been invited to visit by the British army. But officials said they were forced to call off the trip after their British counterparts could not guarantee that they would not be arrested.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter has become a sore point in relations with Britain. Neither the Israeli military nor the British government would comment.

Last month, pro-Palestinian activists persuaded a London judge to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli politician Tzipi Livni, who was foreign minister during the war in Gaza last year. The warrant was withdrawn after Livni canceled her trip, but the matter strained relations between Britain and Israel.

More than 1,400 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, were killed in the three-week offensive, which was launched to stop years of rocket attacks from Gaza on southern Israel. Thirteen Israelis were also killed. A U.N. investigation accused both Israel and Hamas militants of committing war crimes during the fighting.

The threat of arrest has forced several former security officials to call off trips to London, including a former general who remained holed up on an airplane at Heathrow Airport in order to avoid arrest. Last fall, Defense Minister Ehud Barak fended off an arrest attempt by successfully arguing he had diplomatic immunity.

In Britain, pro-Palestinian groups have condemned moves to reform the law.

“We believe no attempt should be made (to change the law),” said Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain. “There’s no reason why Israel should be singled out for special treatment. If they’re accused of war crimes, we have a duty — and legislation — to prosecute.”

AP correspondent Jill Lawless contributed reporting from London.