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Swift Change to British Universal Jurisdiction Law in Doubt

(Times-UK) Roland Watson and Sheera Frenkel - A swift change to the law promised by ministers to prevent Israeli politicians and generals being arrested when they visit Britain is in doubt. A Cabinet split over timing threatens to postpone any alteration of the rules until after the election, The Times has learned, even though ministers assured Israel that it was a priority. Ministers promised to act after a magistrate in London issued a warrant for the arrest last year of Tzipi Livni, the Israeli opposition leader, for alleged war crimes in Gaza when she was foreign minister. Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, is privately warning against remaking the law in haste. A further complication is that 119 MPs, most Labour, have signed a Commons motion against any change. Yigal Palmor, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, said: "If Israeli dignitaries cannot travel unhindered to Britain, than they will not travel. Automatically the political dialogue between the two countries will be reduced. This is not something that London or Jerusalem wants."
2010-02-15 08:25:07
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