Benny Gantz could have been prosecuted and arrested in Britain had it not been for its efforts to grant him official status (Reuters)
The Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post said on Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office exposed war government minister Benny Gantz to possible prosecution and arrest in Britain after he refused to grant him official delegation status during a visit to the capital, London, last Wednesday.
Netanyahu, who was not satisfied with Gantz’s visit to Britain and before that to the United States of America, instructed the Israeli embassies in Washington and London not to cooperate with or participate in the visit and considered it unofficial.
The newspaper explained that Israel did not grant Gantz's delegation the status of an official delegation, which meant that Gantz would be exposed to possible criminal charges and arrest abroad.
She said that Britain feared that the visit would be placed against the backdrop of growing pro-Palestinian protests in Europe, so it sought to grant Gantz’s delegation official status, which means that Gantz will receive special immunity from lawsuits and arrest warrants related to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
The newspaper added that the British believed that after the war, Israel would want to provide security for the senior minister during his visit abroad, but they were not aware of the internal disputes between Netanyahu and Gantz.
She added that Britain went to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare a book about the official delegation’s visit, and in the beginning, there was cooperation between the British and Israeli Foreign Ministries, but after a few hours, the Ministry cut off contact after it received the details from Gantz’s office.
The Israeli newspaper added that the British were surprised, and because they did not want to take risks, they went to the British embassy in Israel to complete bureaucratic preparations.
Gantz visited Britain on Wednesday, and met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Foreign Minister David Cameron, and National Security Advisor Tim Barrow.
Supporters of the Palestinian cause around the world are taking the initiative to file lawsuits with local courts to arrest Israeli officials on charges of participating in war crimes, but it is not clear whether a lawsuit has actually been filed with the British government against Gantz in his capacity as a member of the war government.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately comment on this report.
All of this comes in light of a devastating war waged by Israel on the Gaza Strip since October 7, which has left tens of thousands of victims, most of them children and women, according to Palestinian and UN data, which led to Israel appearing before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing genocide.
Source: Anadolu Agency