Comments on: Livni cancels UK appearance fearing arrest warrant for war crimes

By: VR

VR — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:24:18 +0000

Yes potsherd, than they will wonder later why no one affords any recognition of the Conventions. So they can chalk up every atrocity committed presently to their disdain for what they have said is part of the corpus of the “law of the land.” When their own men, women, and children are treated like worse than animals they can just stand mute, because they have contributed by ignoring and undoing a correct procedure against parties who are repeatedly guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The same applies to the USA, and to every silent country which should add weight to stop these atrocities from happening to the Palestinians.

By: Chaos4700

Chaos4700 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:18:29 +0000

I might be overly optimistic but I think the UK will be much more likely to stand up against Israel’s dictations than the US will. I believe the warrant was only rescinded because it became clear that Livni was not going to make the trip. Therefore, it will be reissued as soon as she schedules a new trip.

By: potsherd

potsherd — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:08:41 +0000

Well, the Brits are caving in.

By: VR

VR — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:02:27 +0000

That is why instead of calling it the “peace process,” I call it the “PIECE process.” The purpose of the process is to distract from the fact of more stolen land, as if something is moving. The only moving that is going on is Palestinians out of the homes that are rightfully theirs, and the Zionist thieves moving into them in Occupied Territory (or destroying the homes and building new ones, etc.). So, it is the “piece process,” not the peace process, by which more pieces of the land are stolen.

By: Oscar

Oscar — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:58:52 +0000

The term “peace process” is hasbaric. What is a “process”? A process is bureaucracy, red tape, subterfuge. Does Britain really desire to play a role in the “process” or is it Obama’s quagmire, with Hillary Clinton working behind the scene to sabotage the “process” and appease powerful Zionist fundraisers who will fuel her presidential aspirations? A river of gold . . .

By: jimby

jimby — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:33:14 +0000

This is funny. The foreign ministry is threatening withhold that plum of allowing the British to be part of the Middle East peace negotiations. Can this be serious? it is in today’s Ha’aretz.

“The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called on the British government to end the “absurd situation” in which arrest warrants were being issued to Israeli officials over alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip, warning that ties between the two countries could suffer as a result.

“Only actions can put an end to this absurd situation, which would have seemed a comedy of errors were it not so serious,” said the Foreign Ministry, a day after it emerged that opposition leader Tzipi Livni had canceled her trip to Britain after a warrant was issued for her arrest.

The ministry warned that in indulging the arrest warrant, the British government was hampering its own efforts at playing a role in Middle East peace negotiations.

“We appreciate the British government’s desire to play a central role in the Middle East peace process, and thus we expected it to translate the importance it gives its relations with Israel into actions,” said the ministry.

By: tree

tree — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:56:20 +0000

For so many Israelis, Europe (and nowhere more than the UK, except perhaps Italy) provides an escape, a place where they can go and feel “normal” for a couple of weeks.

Ironic, in that Israel was sold to the world, and to Jews, as the place that European Jews would be able to go to feel “normal”.

By: Shmuel

Shmuel — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:41:07 +0000

According to today’s Haaretz, the arrest warrant was real. I’m assuming it was the Foreign Office that tipped Livni off, preventing an embarrassing situation for both sides.

WJ, You underestimate Israeli feelings about Europe in general, and the UK in particular. It is a big blow to many Israelis (even if their first response is righteous indignation) that the “moderate” leader of the opposition (as well as various other politicians and military officers) cannot safely visit Britain. The siege mentality is one response, but by no means the only one. The more this happens – especially in countries that are important to Israelis – the more Israelis will start to wonder about the “whole world is against us” conception.

There was never any real danger of Livni’s arrest, and it is not the first time that Israeli officials have been tipped off about possible legal difficulties in Britain. The blow to Israelis lies in the sense of rejection by their European “peers” and the increasing claustrophobia they already feel as “a small nation surrounded by enemies”. For so many Israelis, Europe (and nowhere more than the UK, except perhaps Italy) provides an escape, a place where they can go and feel “normal” for a couple of weeks. Don’t underestimate the impact of making Israelis feel unwelcome in Europe.

By: wondering jew

wondering jew — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:26:14 +0000

I don’t think arresting Livni would spark anything except a momentary rise in Livni’s street creds in Israel and a long term plus to the right wing of Israel- look how the world is against us. The right wing of Israel does not really want it, because they have no need for a boost in the polls at home, and they don’t want Livni’s arrest on the news around the world. They would prefer the item on page 10 about Livni skipping her date in London rather than the front page item of Livni’s arrest.

By: James

James — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:55:49 +0000

chicken hawks and chicken shits….