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Charges of war crimes now a real fear for Israeli ministers and officers as Ya’alon refuses to fly to Britain
PSC Press release

5 October 2009


Charges of war crimes now a real fear for Israeli ministers and officers as Ya’alon refuses to fly to Britain

The decision by Moshe Ya’alon, Israel’s vice premier and a former IDF chief of staff, not to travel to the UK for fear of being arrested on war crimes charges has been welcomed by organisations campaigning for Palestinian human rights.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Britain’s largest organisation campaigning for solidarity with the Palestinian people, said the decision revealed that war criminals were now nervous about stepping foot on British territory.

Sarah Colborne, Director of Campaigns and Operations at PSC, said this was a result of the determination of campaigners seeking to bring Israeli war criminals to justice.

Ms Colborne added: `Israeli war criminals must not be allowed to come into Britain, walk freely and remain unpunished. We are committed to bringing those responsible for war crimes against Palestinians to justice.`

Mr Ya’alon was warned by his legal advisors of possible charges over his involvement in the 2002 assassination of a Hamas leader that killed 14 other people. He had been due to attend a charity event in London next month.

Last week (29 September), campaigners, including Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Martin Linton, gathered to protest outside the Grand Hotel, Brighton, at the presence of Israeli defence minister, Ehud Barak, at the Labour Party conference.

Mr Barak was saved from arrest after the Foreign Office upgraded his visit from private to ‘special status’ – giving him diplomatic immunity from charges of war crimes.

He was responsible for ordering the December 2008/January 2009 attack on Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 Palestinians in three weeks. Many of the Israeli actions during that period were condemned as war crimes by the Goldstone Report, released by the UN Human Rights Committee in September 2009.


Released by: Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Media contact: Sarah Colborne 07971 424 296/020 7700 6192

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The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) aims to raise public awareness about the occupation of Palestine and the struggle of the Palestinian people. PSC seek to bring pressure on both the British and Israeli government to bring their policies in line with international law. PSC is an independent, non-governmental and non-party political organisation with members from communities across the UK. Join PSC today!





Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Box BM PSA
London
WC1N 3XX

Tel: 020 7700 6192
Fax: 020 7609 7779

Email: info@palestinecampaign.org

Web: www.palestinecampaign.org



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