Hamas used UK law to call for Livni arrest
Hamas protestors
Terrorist group Hamas has claimed it masterminded the efforts to issue arrest warrants for Israeli politicians in Britain and across Europe.
The admission came after Kadima leader Tzipi Livni was forced to cancel a trip to London when the court, acting on behalf of Palestinians, issued an arrest warrant accusing her of war crimes.
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The committee is run by Judge Diaa al-Din al-Madhoun who told The Times that Hamas had "all the political and military leaders of the occupation in our sights".
He said the Hamas government acted as a facilitator, though the group had not been directly involved in filing legal cases or contracting lawyers. He added: "We have provided a group of independent lawyers in Britain with documents, information and evidence concerning war crimes committed by Israeli political and military leaders, including Ms Livni."
Hamas is collaborating with lawyers and pro-Palestinian legal groups across Europe, but has especially strong support in the UK. It's taking advantage of a unique feature of English and Welsh law that allows anyone to apply for an arrest warrant without a prosecuting lawyer.
The Israeli embassy condemned Hamas's involvement in UK courts. A spokesman told the Jewish News: "This ugly exploitation and inverting of the legal system can now be traced back to Hamas. Whilst British soldiers are locked in battle fighting terrorists in Afghanistan, at home, a terrorist organisation is taking advantage of the British legal system, for its own interests, by seeking the arrest of an Israeli opposition leader.
"It is in the best interests of all parties that Britain play a prominent role in the peace process. For this to happen however, it is necessary for Israelis to be free to visit this country without fear of harassment."
The Foreign Office declined to comment, but after Livni's arrest warrant was made Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: "The government is looking urgently at ways in which the UK system might be changed in order to avoid this sort of situation arising again."
Alan Aziz of the Zionist Federation said: "The UK must not surrender to radical groups and must stand up to them and to NGOs who are being used as pawns in a radicalisation game."
In addition to Livni, other Israeli officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon, have been forced to abandon visits to the UK over fears they could be arrested, while in September officials failed to arrest Defence Minister Ehud Barak over the IDF's actions in Gaza. In July the National Court of Spain issued warrants against seven Israelis.
Read the latest copy of The Jewish News Online by clicking here.
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