An arrest warrant is being sought for Israeli President Isaac Herzog ahead of his planned trip to London this week.
The president is expected to arrive on Wednesday and meet ministers and senior political figures, although his itinerary has not been confirmed.
News of the visit has sparked outrage since the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is wanted for alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Court and Herzog himself has backed the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Pro-Palestine campaign group Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA) has instructed a legal team to apply for an arrest warrant to be issued for Herzog on “charges of aiding, abetting or procuring direct and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects”.
FOA chair Ismail Patel said: “Britain has failed to defend and champion the rule of law. There is now an opportunity to correct the failings and issue an arrest warrant to investigate Herzog’s incitement to attacks on Gaza.
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“We have submitted an application to compel UK law enforcement to arrest Isaac Herzog upon entry into the United Kingdom. Every official, no matter how senior, must be held accountable for attacks on civilians.
“There can be no immunity for such grave crimes.”
‘Direct support for the genocide’
The moves comes after the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) wrote to Scotland Yard’s war crimes unit on Monday, “demanding that the Israeli president is investigated upon his arrival in the UK, on suspicion of bearing criminal liability for alleged war crimes”.
According to the ICJP, even if Herzog is given diplomatic immunity, Scotland Yard could still interview and investigate him “in compliance with the UK’s international and domestic obligations”.
Herzog has backed Israel’s military operations in Gaza. In October 2023 he claimed that all Palestinians in Gaza were “unequivocally” responsible for the 7 October Hamas attack.
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“It is not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved,” he said in remarks that South Africa submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) during its genocide case against Israel.
Patel said on Tuesday that “it is sad and very low for Britain to welcome a head of state that is committing genocide.
“Any British MP meeting him will be endorsing Israel’s gross human rights violations and crimes and against humanity,” he added.
“Keir Starmer inviting Herzog shows not only complicity but direct support for the genocide in Gaza.”
Herzog’s reported trip is one of many by senior Israeli officials to the UK over the last two years of the genocidal campaign in Gaza.
On 25 November 2024, Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi flew to Britain on a secret trip and met Lord Richard Hermer, the attorney general.
The Labour government gave Halevi special mission immunity for the trip.
In mid-April, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar made a similarly clandestine trip to the UK and met the foreign secretary.
The attorney general blocked an attempt by legal groups to apply for an arrest warrant for Saar.
