Home Secretary Refuses to Say If Netanyahu Would Be Arrested If He Came to UK

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper refused to confirm whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he came to the UK, following the issue of a warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Cooper said on Friday there are “proper processes to be followed” when ICC investigations become a matter for UK law enforcement, but added that in the majority of cases “they never do.”
“That’s not a matter for me as a home secretary,” she told Sky News, when asked about the possibility of Netanyahu’s arrest in the UK.
She acknowledged the independence and the role of the ICC, adding that Britain’s focus is on “getting a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Her comments come after Downing Street backed the ICC on Thursday, after the court issued warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant regarding their actions in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The prime minister’s spokesman said the court based in the Hague, of which the UK is a member, was “the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern.”
“This government has been clear that Israel has a right to defend itself in accordance with international law. There is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy, and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, which are terrorist organisations.
“We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the devastating violence in Gaza which is essential to protect civilians, ensure the release of hostages, and to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the spokesman said.
Netanyahu’s office rejected what it described as “absurd and false actions” levelled against Israel by the ICC.
The court said the warrants were for “crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024.”
She suggested it will draw “a moral equivalence with the actions of the terrorist leadership of Hamas, which it is wrong to do.”
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government told the ICC it intended to submit arguments questioning whether the ICC had the right to order the arrest of Israeli nationals. The plans were later dropped by Labour, which came to power in July.
A Labour spokeswoman had previously said that the ICC received enough submissions on the matter to make their independent determinations.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller said: “The previous Conservative government denigrated the International Criminal Court and undermined the UK’s standing on the world stage.
“It is vital that the new government complies with our obligations under international law by committing to upholding this ruling, including enforcing arrest warrant.”
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts, and Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer also urged an end to UK arms sales to Israel.