Keir Starmer denies blocking arrest warrant for Gideon Sa'ar
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar visited London last week, where he met with Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The meeting went unannounced and was largely unreported in the media, save for The National, the Middle East Eye and the Guardian.
During his time in the UK, a request for an arrest warrant for Sa'ar was submitted to Westminster Magistrate Court by the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the Hind Rajab Foundation.
(Image: Aris Messinis / AFP) Sa'ar was accused of aiding and abetting torture and grave breaches of international humanitarian law in Palestine including torture, wilful killing and extensive destruction of property.
He is already the subject of a complaint by the Hind Rajab Foundation to the International Criminal Court alleging his involvement in decisions that led to mass civilian displacement and siege conditions in Gaza and his support for policies that targeted civilian infrastructure.
READ MORE: BBC quietly edits false report hiding Israel minister's UK visit
The request was ultimately denied by the Attorney General because "international law requires that immunity is accorded to serving ministers for foreign affairs in domestic criminal proceedings irrespective of the subject matter, or gravity, of any complaint."
It was later revealed that Lammy had personally offered Sa'ar reassurances that he would not would not face an arrest warrant while on a secret visit, leading to accusation that the UK Government was "shielding" Sa'ar.
However, during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Starmer was asked why he "block[ed] the arrest of an unindicted war criminal".
Keir Starmer is challenged on Israeli minister Gideon Sa'ar visiting the UK last week by Labour MP @zarahsultana
He denies blocking campaigners' attempts to secure an arrest warrant for the politician. pic.twitter.com/HZ2OtdGEot — The National (@ScotNational) April 23, 2025
Labour MP Zarah Sultana, one of the few MPs to speak out against the visit, said: "Last week humanitarian law organisations applied for an arrest warrant for Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar over alleged war crimes in Gaza, including the siege of Kamal Adwan Hospital and the torture of its director Dr Hussam Abu Safiyeh.
"Yet the red carpet was rolled out.
READ MORE: Israeli police officers aimed guns at two British MPs in West Bank
"Sa'ar has justified blocking vital humanitarian aid into Gaza, backed the illegal annexation of Palestinian land and rejected a Palestinian state.
"The Prime Minister is a human rights lawyer, so surely he knows that the UK has a legal duty to uphold international law.
"Why then did he block the arrest of an unindicted war criminal?"
Starmer simply replied: "I didn't."
The Foreign Office has still not issued an official statement on Sa'ar's meeting with Lammy.
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