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Today's Top News
Israel Confirms UK Arrest Warrant Against Livni
The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called for an end to the "absurd situation" in which arrest warrants were being issued to Israeli officials over alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's opposition leader and former foreign minister Tzipi Livni attends the annual Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) conference in Tel Aviv December 15, 2009. A British court issued an arrest warrant for Livni on war crimes charges but withdrew it on finding she had cancelled a planned trip to Britain, the Guardian newspaper reported. REUTERS/Gil Cohen Magen (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS) "Only actions can put an end to this absurd situation, which would have seemed a comedy of errors were it not so serious," said the Foreign Ministry, a day after it emerged that opposition leader Tzipi Livni had canceled her trip to Britain after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Senior officials in Israel confirmed reports on Monday that a British court had issued an arrest warrant against opposition leader Tzipi Livni for her role in orchestrating Israel's military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip nearly a year ago.
The request for the warrant was submitted by a pro-Palestinian organization.
British sources reported late Monday that though a British court had issued an arrest warrant for Livni over war crimes allegedly committed in Gaza while she served as foreign minister, it annulled it upon discovering she was not in the U.K.
Livni served as foreign minister alongside Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak during the Israel Defense Forces offensive in Gaza. The three figures comprised the "troika" of top decision-makers who charted the course of the war.
Earlier Monday, Arab-language media reported that Livni canceled her participation in a Jewish function in London after a warrant for her arrest was issued over part in last winter's Israel's Gaza offensive.
Israel's ambassador to London, Ron Prosor, conferred with officials in the British Ministry of Justice who told him that they were unaware of any criminal complaint or arrest warrant against the former foreign minister.
Yet, further inquiries by Israeli officials revealed that a warrant had indeed been issued.
Al-Quds Al-Arabi claimed on Monday that Scotland Yard advised the organizers of the Jewish National Fund conference in northwest London that the former foreign minister had canceled her scheduled address to the assembly over threats of a possible lawsuit by pro-Palestinian groups.
The Al-Quds Al-Arabi report also said that a group of about 100 anti-Israel protesters rallied outside the Hendon Hall Hotel on Sunday, just as delegates arrived at the JNF meet.
Livni's office said in a statement following the report that her appearance at the London event was canceled two weeks ago due to a scheduling conflict.
Livni's office also said that the opposition leader was proud of all the decisions she made as foreign minister during the Gaza war, an operation which she said achieved its goal of bring security to Israel.
A United Kingdom court two months ago deferred until further notice an appeal by local pro-Palestinian groups to issue an arrest warrant against Barak, who was visiting the country at the time.
A similar appeal was issued in 2004 against Israel's then defense minister, Shaul Mofaz. At the time, Mofaz was granted immunity from international arrest and trial - a precedent set by the British court, which until then had given such protection only to foreign ministers or premiers.
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95 Comments so far
Show AllSo why no arrest warrant for Tony Blair?
Tzipi Livni was a glad handing PR flack making excuses. Blair was an outright butcher who gave direct orders to kill in Iraq.
I'm sure that one day there will be.
Galen,
Do you know what an arrest warrant looks like? Are you any good with Photoshop?
So the US isn't the only Israeli puppet.
q
You have to ask your self why Israel needs 200++ nukes to 'defend' themselves? Yu only need about 10 to turn the ME to glass...Where do you think the remainder are pointed? Nuclear blackmail anyone?
Why do you think the Western powers wet their pants when Israel demands anything? especially the US.
See Sampson.
Israel is not only a threat to world peace but a very corrupt country much like the United States.
Ho-Hum....more America bashing thats completely off topic.
Why is it off topic? Israel and US are one and the same. the tails that wag each others dog. Sometime it is hard to tell whether the US is for American citizens or Israel citizens. The wars in the ME is for Israel...not the defense of US security or any other BS that the leaders are peddling....I call the US of A really the US of I.
Israel is the USA's creation, it would never have become a state except for USA support( Britian decided against israel becoming a state because of the British troops murdered by zionist terrorists and because they could see there would not be peace between the zionists and the Palestinians and only USA pressure got israel granted a dubious statehood in the UN) and probably would not have survived without USA support.
So anything concerning israeli crimes concerns the enabler USA.
Also do you agree or disagree that the USA is the greatest exportor of violence in the world for the last 50 years?
No justifications, just tally up the millions of humans killed by USA trigger pullers in the last 50 years and I defy you to name a country that comes close to equaling the slaughter perpetrated by the USA.
A slaughter that is increasing and fueled by the acceptance of apologists as yourself.
So who is the top?
Please list top five nation with total number of deaths initiated by their trigger pullers in last 50 years.
Internal massacres as under Mao and Stalin are not included in export of violence.
These two internal genocides plus Hitlers are the only three mass longer term slaughters that might equal or even surpass the Millions Killed because of USA employees.
When one adds up:
1. The ongoing excess deaths by starvation, homelessness and lack of basic health care worldwide under the US-promoted Capitalist syatem;
2. Those directly caused by the US military; and,
3. Those comitted by US proxy regimes or terorists on their own poeple;
I'd say the US would beat both Stalin and Mao combined.
And, I'm only talking about the period since WW2.
Starvation:
It is estimated that, at an absolute minimum 20 to 22 million died in China in the 1950's during the "Great Leap Forward", most from famine. 6 million people died of famine in Kazahkstan and the Ukraine in the 1930's. 2 million died in Tatarstan ASSR in 1922. Over one million died in Ethiopia in 1984-84. Up to 3.5 million died in North Korea's self-induced famine in the 1990's. Several hundred thousand are thought to have died in Zimbabwe this century of starvation.
The ONLY thing these countries have in common is that they were NOT capitalist...
If the US can beat this, they really must have been working hard...
The North Korean invasion of the South in 1950 (OK, 59 years ago) probably killed over a million. The war between India and Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh killed who knows how many. The suppression of the sovereign nation of Tibet by China has resulted in millions of deaths. The violence between Azerbaijan and Armenia in many more. And so on...
And so on?
Vietnam and Cambodia were never a part of the USA. Tibet was part of China up until the British hived it off in the 1920's and the war that created Bangladesh was an internal affair.
Now with China versus Tibet....that is all you have China versus Tibet.
In those 50 years the US has been killing people in Iraq, Afghanistan. Yemen, Panama, Colombia, Libya. Lebanon , Pakistan ,Grenada, Panama, ,Somalia, The Sudan, Laos, Vietnam, Yugoslavia and Cambodia to name a few.
This number dwarfs the number of Tibetans killed by the Chinese and more importantly, none of these countries border the USA and none were ever a part of the USA.
Do you understand that China is not the same country as Armenia and that India is not the same Country as Bangladesh and North Korea is not the same country as Pakistan?
Why are you adding all those together when comparing the number killed to the SINGLE country called the United States of America?
He has no idea how many the USA has killed.
None equal the 10 plus million killed by USA think Southeast Asia, most of western hemisphere, most of middle east, now South Central Asia.
Tibet/China would be number two.
All the other of the largest tallies are internal,Kymer Rouge, Pakistan/break off Bangladash, DRC ( mostly internal; not another nations national forces ),Mao, Stalin(more than fifty?),Suharto Indonesia USA instigated genocide of communists.
East Timor may be number three if considered not internal( USA had some involvement here also).
Even without any stats or references I have no doubt that the USA is number one in children burned to death, families torn apart, civilian deaths, arms manufactured and sold to anybody with money, (no money--no problem) I understand that M=16's and AK=47's go for ten dollars to the people most likely to use them, how do you steal from a dead man? I can't buy an AK-47 for less than $500.00.
I think I got it figured out. The Mid East will be the killing fields. We US or Chinese or Indian peasants will be the creators of wealth.
And for what? The creation of a market for guns. Oil is a minor consideration only.
Morality? Ethics? The US has an answer "Don't you talk to me about right and wrong. This is the most religious country in the planet." Ronald Reagan sent telegrams to Jim Bakker and every other snake oil salesman he could think of urging them to keep God on our side (he was that superstitious). And his formula for appeasing God while dropping hell fire on a town in Pakistan has never gone out of style with US leaders and seems to sit will with most US citizens.
That Ronald Reagan, no wonder the far right love him so. He was a man ahead of his time.
"I MUST WITH GREAT SHAME AND SADNESS SAY THAT THE GREATEST PURVEYOR OF VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD TODAY ...IS MY OWN COUNTRY AND GOVERNMENT....
"IT IS A GREAT IRONY THAT MY COUNTRY COULD SEND COLORED PEOPLE TO KILL OTHER COLORED PEOPLE , SUCH AS IN VIETNAM ...ONLY TO COME HOME WHERE THEY CAN NOT BE EQUAL CITIZENS BECAUSE OF THEIR COLOR....
"WE ARE A NATION OF TECHNOLOGICAL GIANTS AND MORAL MIDGETS"
-----REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
and those words were said BEFORE the usa instigated sanctions and violence against iraq causing "half a million dead children?........i think it was worth it" (MADELEINE ALBRIGHT)...simply because that nation decided to do business with other nations rather than just bow to the USA for its OIL....
and that's not even including the 2 million more iraqis displaced due to the IRAQ invasion....
not yet including the tens of thosuands more dead and tens of thousands more maimed due to the american invasion based on LIES...
that's before the escalations of afghanistan and the USA meddling in afghanistan that CREATED the TALIBAN POWER STRUCTURE and ensured AL Qaeda became the powerful organization it became. PURELY because the USA had such MALICE towards a rival country like Russia...
can you imagine how many more dead people from US MUNITIONS across the globe, such as landmines?
can you imagine how many more MILLIONS upon MILLIONS with destroyed lives and futures caused by USA MILITARISM and EMPIRE?.
can you imagine how many ECONOMIES destroyed and the BILLIONS of people affected by the VIOLENCE of US ECONOMICS?
how can americans DEFEND the INDEFENSIBLE?
because they are "patriotic?"
that's not even patriotism...
patriotism is to LOVE one's land and home country - it is not to DEFEND the indefensible of one's country invading and making war with others.
Creepy Tzipi better take care
Scotland Yard and interpol just might be there
Around the corner where you squat
In another people's land that the world forgot
Gitmo is too good for you bitch
Run, run, before they make you snitch
No place is safe not even in a bag
not in Palestine and not under an American flag
Terry Scott on Cauble Road?
Just up the creek
Up the Wadi and onto Khalil
the West calls it Hebron
but stop now
a soldier comes closer,
shit
I am dead
You are the one.
Thank God that some country has taken the UN calls for retribution against the war crimes committed against the Palestinians by the Isreali government seriously.
Now, if only US congressmen, senators and administration officials can stand up to AIPAC and do the right thing and demand humanitarian treatment in Gaza and the halt of new Isreali developements on the West Bank, the United States would really be a country that demands respect.
Everyone pays lip service to international laws against war crimes...... until them and their friends are the ones committing the war crimes.
It's about time Israeli war criminals face consequences for their crimes.
I left the USA for the UK 12 years ago.
Both countries have their flaws, big flaws, but the UK has a much higher quality of life than the US so I became a citizen of the UK.
I have never been prouder of that decision than I was when I learned of this news!
good for you, but the UK is the Jr. partner in imperialism and war crimes. You should have moved to New Zealand
New Zealand still practices genocide against it's Indigenous Peoples.
Have you actually been to New Zealand? That statement of yours is as close to nonsense as it gets. I can't think of any country that has done more to redress the wrongs of the European settlers or include Maori culture in the country.
Of course, all those who "invaded" could leave but then that would have to include the Maori population too since they "invaded" from elsewhere.
Genocide? Absolute poppycock!
Kia Ora (hello in Maori)
Big statement Stone,
How does NZ still commit genocide?
The Treaty of Waitangi? The granting of traditional fishing rights? Maori tv? The teaching of the Maori language in schools? Their own political party?
Yes the Maori people are overrepresented in prisons and underrepresented in schools, but I'd have to agree with Sanctuary...NZ has been making a real effort to address these issues. Please include some examples next time you make sweeping statements...you twat.
The dominant race of New Zealand is white and (a little bit) Christian. They are guilty of "genocide" on general principles. Get with the program. If they were Chinese killing Tibetans, Russians killing Chechnyians, North Koreans killing their own, Hutus killing Tutsis, Sunnis killing Shias, Shias killing Sunnis, Iraquis killing Kurds, Turks killing Armenians, etc, they would be innocent "victims of capitalism".
So because they do, it is ok for Israel? And you call yourself a democracy? You think the rest of the world is stupid? Is NK a democracy? Or China, Or Hutus? Tutsis? You comparing Israel to these folks.....So by your standard, Israel is a third world barbaric thug with the finger on the nuclear trigger. As such, you should be open season then....You fucking zionists are a real piece of hypocritical work!
"You f#$%ing Zionists". Hey! That's pretty good. Did you think up that wonderfully intelligent response to reasoned debate all by yourself?
I think you are on the wrong website. There is one for you out there. Go to www.stormfront.org. The people who post there will be very welcoming of you, your debating skills, and your beliefs.
Since the warrant was annulled, this is largely symbolic, however is obvioulsy bothering the Israelis. Sending a message to de-legitimize Apartheid Israel is a positive step, no doubt.
Arrests warrants should also be issued for war crimes
Henry Kissinger
Bush Jr.
Cheney
Rummy
Olmert
Condi Rice
and after their term is over, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
I am happy that at least one court, or maybe only one judge, in the U.K. issued the arrest warrant. As other bloggers have said, it is probably only symbolic, but the news the action made internationally is more than symbolic. I applaud more the decision taken by the "powers that be" in the U.K. to boycott goods exported by Israel from seized Palestinian Territories, though. We shall see which is more effective: hitting them in their pocketbooks or chastising them in the media.
There will be no justice until the Israeli butchers and the US war criminals are brought to the Hague or any other court of law to face their crimes against humanity!!! I'm happy to hear that the UK issued the warrant for the arrest of one of the great war criminals of the twenty first century. Hopefully, other countries will pick up from the UK's lead and issue warrants for arrest of any of the Israeli war criminals that had any responsibility for the horrific crimes committed against the Gazan population during their illegal and aggressive war last year!!
Wait till she and the Prime Minister make some insignificant gesture in support of the peace process then arrest her for her own protection from radical settlers, most of whom were born in Brooklyn.
Meanwhile we can lavish more support on Mubarek and his wonderful new wall.
I agree with "Risingdawn". Denmark, Holland, and other countries have refused to accept cosmetics from the Dead Sea labeled as Israeli products. It's a beginning. I, too, agree that the white phosphorus bombs dropped on an incarcerated and unarmed Gaza population (and furnished by us in the U.S. to Israel), the U.N. facilities bombed by Israel, the schools bombed by Israel, the hospitals bombed by Israel last December/January, and the innocents shot for no reason should have a more important place in our media. Alas, the events didn't and don't make up our news. What can we do short of storming the Pentagon to destroy its arms transfer contracts? I'm too old to be a "storm trooper". You young people have to devise something to do to save yourselves and your world.
WHy do I think she is hot?
Livni hot? Yuck. Or, maybe hot like Elsa, She-Wolf of the SS.
Sorry. She is deplorable. But I can't help being attracted to her. Maybe I can change her.
now that the nonsense session is over, say something relevant please.
Maybe progessives should start trying to date conservatives. Didn't that happen alot in the 60's? Love changes people.
You probably want to be whipped by her, her just wear shiny knee high leather boots and a Nazi cap with a SS lightening bolt and death skull and some juices flowing in an unmentionable area.
Come on now. That's really offensive and untrue. I wonder why you would write something like that.
Because she looks like a wench! Raise your standards...
I know... Her eyes are very sexy, like alot of Israeli women. Maybe she has a bad home life. She might just need a good progressive man.