Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to London on Wednesday without his military attache, who fears arrest by British justice for war crimes, state television reported. Yohanan Locker chose to stay in Israel rather than expose himself to the risk of possible prosecution because of his role in "Operation Cast Lead", the devastating military offensive on Gaza in the winter of 2008-2009.
British law allows a judge, if a case is brought by a plaintiff, to issue an arrest warrant against a foreigner entering the country if the judge has grounds to believe that person may have been involved in crimes against humanity, even if those crimes were not committed on British territory. The judge is not required to submit his decision to the attorney general for approval.
Palestinian groups have used this legislation to accuse Israeli political and military leaders of war crimes in British courts. Such legal threats have prompted various Israelis to cancel trips to London, notably Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon in 2009.
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