A politicisation of British justice

When the then Israel Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livini, accepted to speak in London last December, the British magistrates issued an arrest warrant against her for war crimes. She duly cancelled her trip. A similar situation has occurred with Israel's Deputy Prime Minister last month.

This is the result of pressure groups applying to the British courts whenever an high-level Israeli official wants to visit the UK. In theory, they have every right to do so. A legal principle known as universal jurisdiction, allows courts to try suspects in cases of crimes against humanity, even if they are a foreign national who committed the alleged crime in a foreign country. This principle does have its merit: it allows courts to try those who would not otherwise be tried - because the concerned country have a shoddy legal system. This is why Radovan Karadzic, accused of the genocide at Srebrenica and Charles Taylor, the former tyrant of Liberia is on trial at the Hague.

However, the situation with Israel is a mere politicisation of justice by pressure groups. It is, to say the least, unhelpful to our diplomatic relations. Israel have all but suspended high-level contacts with Britain. By preventing official coming to the UK, we are in no way advancing the cause of creating a two-state territorial settlement.