BICOM

Israeli Opposition leader and Kadima Party head Tzipi Livni met with British Foreign Secretary William Hague at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London yesterday. In their meeting, the Kadima leader and the foreign secretary discussed Israeli-British bilateral relations and the importance of building support for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Hague described Israel as an ‘important ally’ and said it was an ‘appalling situation’ where political abuse of legal procedures prevented Livni travelling legitimately to the UK. Hague also said that yesterday’s meeting showed the ‘warmth and strength’ of the bilateral relations between Britain and Israel. For her part, Livni thanked the foreign secretary for the government’s swift move to prevent the political abuse of legal procedures through the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act.

The visit was made possible by an amendment last month to British universal jurisdiction law, which prevented pro-Palestinian organisations from applying for a warrant for Livni’s arrest on war crimes charges. The law had prevented many high-ranking Israelis from traveling to the UK, casting a certain shadow over relations between the two countries. Livni’s visit was the first by a senior Israeli political figure since the amendment, and was thus seen as a test for the amended legislation.

Despite the amended law, pro-Palestinian lawyers issued a request to the Crown Prosecution Service to have Livni arrested when she arrived in London. Hague, however, intervened – issuing a certificate which designated Livni’s visit a ‘special mission.’ According to a previous High Court ruling, a visit by a dignitary that includes functions that would normally be taken care of by a diplomatic mission can be designated a ‘special mission.’ No court can question this designation once it is made by the Foreign Office. Israeli officials hope that Livni’s visit can pave the way for resumption of regular visits to the UK by a greater number of Israeli public figures.