December 15, 2009 - 07:17
 CAIRO – Former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni cancelled on Monday, December 14, a scheduled visit to Britain after an arrest warrant was reportedly issued for war over war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip. "We declined the invitation to the annual Jewish National Fund conference two weeks ago," Livni’s office said in a statement cited by Yediot Aharonot. "Livni is proud of all the decisions she made regarding Operation Cast Lead." An arrest warrant was reportedly issued by a British court against the former foreign minister for war crimes during the Gaza war last year. Livni, the leader of the centrist Kadima party, was scheduled to visit London to address the JNF conference. Livni was a foreign minister when Israel launched three-week deadly war on the Gaza Strip last year, killing more than 1,400 People and wounding thousands. The Israeli onslaught also wrecked havoc on the infrastructure of the densely-populated Gaza enclave, leaving some 20,000 homes and thousands other buildings in ruins. Former UN investigator Richard Goldstone has accused Israel of committing war crimes during the Gaza war. During a visit to the US in January, Livni was condemned by journalists as terrorist and murderer of Palestinian children. The Israeli Haaretz daily has published testimonies by Israeli soldiers in which they admitted killing innocent Palestinians in cold blood and ransacking their properties during the war. War Criminals The arrest warrant against Livni has drawn praise from the Palestinians. “It is a major step by the international community to hold Israel responsible for breaching international law and violating Palestinian rights,” Ghassan Al-Khatib, director of the Government Media Center, told Al-Jazeera television. “It is a sign on the rising international awareness of the gravity of Israel’s war crimes and violations of international laws and human rights.” Last September, Israeli Defense Minister faced an arrest warrant for war crimes in Gaza during a visit to London. In October, Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon was advised to scrap a visit to London for fears of arrest for war crimes. In 2005, Major General (res.) Doron Almog declined to leave his plane in London for fears of being arrested for war crimes. Former army chief of staff Moshe Yaalon scrapped a visit to Britain over fears of arrest. Following the Gaza war, Israeli ministers have been advised not to visit Britain, Spain, Belgium and Norway for fears of being arrested for war crimes. |
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