UK government responds to ‘arrest Netanyahu petition’

Below is the Response of the Petitions Team of the British parliament concerning the petition, calling for Netanyahu’s arrest, signed by more than 108,000 British citizens and residents.

It was sent out at 9.40pm GMT on September 8, 2015.

It has all the appearances of a “fast track decision” taken on the 8th of September, one day before the scheduled arrival of Israel’s Prime Minister and War Criminal Benjamin Netanyahu.

Was pressure exerted on the petitions team to issue this abridged statement and endorsement of PM Cameron?

The petitions team is not only in violation of its mandate, which is to consider the petition for parliamentary debate, it also fails to address the legal issues.

It constitutes an absolute parody of the British parliamentary system:

Because the Government said in its response that the request made by the petition was something that it was not able to do under UK and international law, the Committee agreed that it would not take any further action on the petition.

This statement is nonsensical.

There are precedents in the UK:

We will recall that a warrant for Chile’s dictator Augusto Pinochet was issued in the UK, upon his indictment by Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón in October 1998.

He was arrested in London and was held under house arrest for more than a year. “Pinochet claimed immunity from prosecution as a former head of state under [Britain’s] State Immunity Act 1978.” This was rejected by the House of Lords.

A warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest can be issued under British law without the consent of the government or the House of Commons. Make it Happen

Failing the issuing of an arrest warrant Plan B consists of a citizen’s arrest.

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(text of the response of the parliamentary committee below addressed to more than 105,000 British citizens and residents, scroll down)

CLICK IMAGE TO SIGN

 Text of response

Hi MICHAEL CHOSSUDOVSKY,

You recently signed a petition on the UK Government and Parliament Petitions website for: Benjamin Netanyahu to be arrested for war crimes when he arrives in London:

 https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/105446

The Committee considered this petition, along with the Government’s response, on Tuesday 8 September.

Because the Government said in its response that the request made by the petition was something that it was not able to do under UK and international law, the Committee agreed that it would not take any further action on the petition.

It is still open to MPs who want a debate on this issue to find other opportunities, such as an application to the Backbench Business Committee:

http://www.parliament.uk/bbcom

You can use this link to find out who your local MP is and how to contact them:

http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

You can see all the decisions the Petitions Committee made at its meeting here:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/petitions-committee/news-parliament-2015/8-sept-committee-decisions/

Click this link to view the petition “Benjamin Netanyahu to be arrested for war crimes when he arrives in London”:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/105446

Thanks,
The Petitions team
UK Government and Parliament

You’re receiving this email because you signed this petition.

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