Sir Keir Starmer will continue to talk to Benjamin Netanyahu despite defending the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister, a No10 spokesman has confirmed.
The Prime Minister, who was not asked about whether he would approve the arrest of Netanyahu on his regional radio round earlier today, is expected to continue to push Israel to agree a ceasefire in Gaza.
It is not yet known if Starmer would approve of the arrest of Netanyahu if he visited the UK.
However, Cabinet Ministers have steered clear of criticising the ICC over its decision to issue an arrest warrant yesterday.
Sir Keir Starmer with an inset of Benjamin Netanyahu
GETTY
The ICC issued its warrant, which also included former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and deceased Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, after the death toll from Israel’s retaliatory onslaught on the Gaza Strip exceeded 44,000.
Responding to whether Starmer will continue to talk to Netanyahu after the ICC issued its arrest warrant, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister will continue to speak to the prime minister of Israel and indeed all allies in order to conduct the essential business of reaching a ceasefire in the Middle East.
“We’ll update on the usual engagement in the usual way.
“But it’s obviously important that we have a dialogue with Israel at all levels to find a diplomatic solution to this war.”
Frontbench Labour MPs have remained coy on whether Netanyahu would be arrested if he visited Britain.
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Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “That is not a matter for me as the Home Secretary. International Criminal Court investigations rarely become a matter for the British legal or law enforcement processes or for the British government.
“If they ever do there are proper processes that need to be followed and it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment in advance on any of those as Home Secretary.
“What I can say is obviously we have always respected the independence of the International Criminal Court but those issues that they investigate are matters for them rather than for the Government.”
However, ex-Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry claimed the UK is now “obliged” to adhere to the ICC’s arrest warrant.
Emily Thornberry gives a speech at the Labour Party ConferenceGB NewsThornberry, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said: “We are, as signatories to the Rome Convention, obliged to implement the arrest warrant.
“So we would need to arrest him if he came to the UK just like would happen to him if he went to most of Europe.”
Addressing Starmer’s position on the arrest warrants, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We respect the independence of the ICC, which is the primary institutional institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes in relation to international law.”
The spokesman repeatedly declined to specify whether Netanyahu would be arrested if he visited the UK, instead stressing he “would not get into hypotheticals”.
Attorney General Lord Hermer KC emphasised that Starmer’s Government was “determined not to do anything that undermines the work of the ICC”.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy last month also voiced his support for the ICC.
Priti PatelPAHowever, Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel labelled the ICC’s decision as “deeply concerning and provocative”.
“This will do nothing to bring about the release of all hostages held and the bringing of much-needed aid into Gaza,” the top Tory added.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick argued: “The UK should not enforce this farcical arrest warrant from a politicised court that is itself mired in scandal.”
“This latest decision will only fuel the growing perception the ICC is a kangaroo court,” he added. “Equating Israel’s war of self-defence with Hamas is absurd.”
The United States, a non-ICC member and close Israeli ally, firmly rejected the court’s decision, with President Joe Biden calling the arrest warrants “outrageous”.
“Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas,” Biden declared.