A Palestinian request to have opposition leader Tzipi Livni (Kadima) arrested in London was rejected by a British court on Thursday. Livni is visiting London for the first time since December 2009, when a British judge issued a warrant for her arrest for her role as foreign minister during Operation Cast Lead in 2008. Operation Cast Lead began when Israel Defense Forces troops crossed the Gaza border in 2008 to stop rocket attacks on Israel. During the three-week offensive, 13 Israelis and more than 1,000 Palestinians died. After the operation, pro-Palestinian organizations in Britain filed lawsuits against Israeli politicians and military leaders for what they claimed were war crimes. At the time, the British legal system permitted any British judge to issue an arrest warrant for a visiting official accused of war crimes, in accordance with the Universal Jurisdiction loophole in British law. The law strained U.K.-Israeli relations, as senior Israeli officials canceled trips rather than face possible arrest in Britain. After more than two years of promises from the U.K. that it would change the law and once again allow Israeli officials entry into the country without fear of being arrested for war crimes, Queen Elizabeth approved an amendment to the British law on Sept. 15. The amendment prevents arrest warrants from being issued against visiting Israeli officials without the approval of the attorney general. Britain's chief prosecutor, Keir Starmer, acted after Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office classified Livni's two-day visit a "special mission" a designation that, according to the recent amendment, protects her from being served with a warrant during her stay. Starmer's office said the "special mission" designation is, based on a prior High Court ruling, binding on prosecutors. Despite the amendment, Palestinians asked a British court to issue a warrant for Livni's arrest on charges of war crimes. The court, however, rejected the Palestinian request. Livni is in London as a guest of British Secretary of State, William Hague. The two met to discuss bilateral relations and recent events in the Arab world.
Palestinian request for arrest of Livni in London rejected
Palestinian request to have opposition leader Tzipi Livni arrested in London was rejected by a British court • British law amendment prevents warrants from being issued against Israelis without approval of attorney general.
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