Home Secretary Refuses to Say If Netanyahu Would Be Arrested If He Came to UK

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper delivers her speech during the Labour Party Conference at the ACC Liverpool in England on Sept. 24, 2024. Peter Byrne/PA

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper refused to confirm whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he came to the UK, following the issue of a warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Cooper said on Friday there are “proper processes to be followed” when ICC investigations become a matter for UK law enforcement, but added that in the majority of cases “they never do.”

“That’s not a matter for me as a home secretary,” she told Sky News, when asked about the possibility of Netanyahu’s arrest in the UK.

She acknowledged the independence and the role of the ICC, adding that Britain’s focus is on “getting a ceasefire in Gaza.”

Her comments come after Downing Street backed the ICC on Thursday, after the court issued warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant regarding their actions in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The prime minister’s spokesman said the court based in the Hague, of which the UK is a member, was “the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern.”

“This government has been clear that Israel has a right to defend itself in accordance with international law. There is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy, and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, which are terrorist organisations.

“We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the devastating violence in Gaza which is essential to protect civilians, ensure the release of hostages, and to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the spokesman said.

When pressed on whether Netanyahu would be arrested if he came to Britain, he said, “We are not going to get into hypotheticals.”

Arrest Warrant

The ICC said Netanyahu and Gallant bore criminal responsibility for “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.”

Netanyahu’s office rejected what it described as “absurd and false actions” levelled against Israel by the ICC.

The court has also issued a warrant for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, a leader of the Hamas terrorist group who Israeli authorities believe may already be dead. He is sometimes known as Mohammed Deif.

The court said the warrants were for “crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024.”

The ICC’s decision has so far been condemned by the U.S. government, but upheld by Canada and Australia.

MPs React to ICC Decision

Reactions also came from British MPs, with shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel urging the Labour government to condemn the ICC’s decision.

In a post on social media platform X, Patel said that the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for the democratically elected leader of Israel and his former defence minister is “deeply concerning and provocative.”

She suggested it will draw “a moral equivalence with the actions of the terrorist leadership of Hamas, which it is wrong to do.”

Patel noted the previous Conservative government’s position was that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the area because Israel is not a signatory to the Rome statute and Palestine is not a recognised state.

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government told the ICC it intended to submit arguments questioning whether the ICC had the right to order the arrest of Israeli nationals. The plans were later dropped by Labour, which came to power in July.

A Labour spokeswoman had previously said that the ICC received enough submissions on the matter to make their independent determinations.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller said: “The previous Conservative government denigrated the International Criminal Court and undermined the UK’s standing on the world stage.

“It is vital that the new government complies with our obligations under international law by committing to upholding this ruling, including enforcing arrest warrant.”

Labour MP Zarah Sultana urged the government to comply with the ICC and suspend its trade deal with Israel, as well as end all arms sales and impose economic sanctions.

Labour MP and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said, “The response must be the UK will always comply with international law.”

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts, and Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer also urged an end to UK arms sales to Israel.

PA Media contributed to this report.