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Labour leader Keir Starmer likes to talk about his time as Director of Public Prosecutions when courting votes. But some cases are still shrouded in secrecy. Especially when he blocked the arrest of former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni despite her role in the 2009 assault on Gaza, Operation Cast Lead, which the UN said deliberately targeted civilians. Declassified UK’s John McEvoy has been trying to obtain Starmer’s emails from this controversial period. Source
John McEvoy from Declassified UK reports:
CENSORED: KEIR STARMER’S EMAILS ABOUT ISRAELI WAR CRIMES CASE
The Crown Prosecution Service is refusing to release files on how Starmer blocked the arrest of former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni over alleged war crimes during the brutal bombing of Gaza in 2008.
- The coalition government changed UK law in 2011 to enable Israeli ministers accused of crimes to visit Britain without fear of prosecution.
- Declassified asks the CPS to conduct an internal review into its decision to censor the Starmer emails.
In October 2011, Keir Starmer was asked by a human rights group and law firm to issue an arrest warrant for former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, who was visiting London, over alleged war crimes.
Starmer was then Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). But two days later, he blocked the application for Livni’s arrest, citing a Foreign Office decision to grant her visit “special mission” status.
Declassified recently submitted a freedom of information (FOI) request asking for all communications to and from Starmer’s office regarding the case.
These files could shine a crucial light on the discussions which led to Livni’s escape from prosecution.
However, the CPS has censored a number of key emails, claiming that the release of such information would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs.
Starmer’s role in the Livni case requires closer inspection in light of the Labour party’s ongoing support for Israel’s brutal war on Gaza.
Tzipi Livni
Livni was the Israeli minister of foreign affairs between 2006 and 2009, and a member of Israel’s war cabinet during the brutal bombing of Gaza between December 2008 and January 2009, known as Operation Cast Lead.
According to a UN report, “numerous serious violations of international law… were committed by Israel during the military operations in Gaza”, which killed around 1,400 Palestinians, 333 of whom were children.
Those crimes included “the direct targeting and arbitrary killing of Palestinian civilians”, as well as a “deliberate and systematic policy… to target industrial sites and water installations”.
The UN report specifically cited Livni as saying: “Israel is not a country upon which you fire missiles and it does not respond. It is a country that when you fire on its citizens it responds by going wild – and that is a good thing”.
Prior to this, Livni had declared: “I am a lawyer… But I am against law – international law in particular. Law in general”.
In December 2009, Westminster Magistrates’ Court issued an arrest warrant for Livni over war crimes allegedly committed during Operation Cast Lead.
With disregard for the separation of powers between government and the judiciary, then prime minister Gordon Brown and foreign secretary David Miliband both phoned Livni to apologise for the incident.
Brown subsequently pledged to make procedural changes to “universal jurisdiction legislation” in England and Wales, whereby a person committing serious crimes overseas can be prosecuted in another country.
This was intended to allow Israeli officials to visit Britain without fear of prosecution.
Changing the law
In June 2011, Starmer met with Israeli state attorney Moshe Lador in London.
It is unclear whether they discussed the planned modification to universal jurisdiction legislation, which was implemented three months later by the coalition government amid an Israeli diplomatic offensive.
The new legislation meant that the consent of the DPP was required before such arrest warrants could be issued, and a higher evidential threshold would have to be met to do so.
“The law was changed with Israeli officials in mind”
“These changes were intended to prevent the arrest of suspected war criminals from ‘friendly’ states”, argued Daniel Machover and Raji Sourani, who were both involved in Livni’s case.
The law was changed with Israeli officials in mind.
“We cannot have a position where Israeli politicians feel they cannot visit this country”, declared then foreign secretary William Hague.
The Jewish Leadership Council, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and the parliamentary Friends of Israel groups helped “to ensure the safe passage of the bill” through parliament, it was reported.
The bill also passed thanks to Lord Palmer, a supporter of the Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel group, who decided to suspend his other commitments and cast the decisive vote in the upper chamber.
‘Special mission’
On 6 October 2011, Livni visited Britain once again.
CPS emails seen by Declassified indicate that Livni’s itinerary involved meeting with then prime minister David Cameron and Hague to discuss the new law “governing arrest warrants for war crimes”.
Two days before her arrival, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and law firm Hickman & Rose requested on behalf of a civilian Palestinian victim of Israeli attacks that Starmer, then DPP, authorise Livni’s arrest.
The application was supported by “extensive evidence indicating Ms Livni’s individual criminal responsibility” for war crimes committed in Gaza, and was compatible with the new legislation.
Starmer deliberated on the evidence for long enough that the Foreign Office was able to retroactively attribute “special mission” status to Livni’s visit, designed to grant her temporary diplomatic immunity.
Precisely why the CPS was not able to reach a “concluded view” on the strength of the evidence against Livni before the Foreign Office’s intervention remains unclear.
If there was insufficient evidence to justify an arrest, it is difficult to see why the Foreign Office intervened in the first place.
It is possible that the Attorney General’s office, which consults with ministers and then determines whether issuing such arrest warrants would be in the national interest, encouraged Starmer not to pursue the case.
When Starmer was probed by MPs about whether the Attorney General could judge that a case is “a bit embarrassing” and thus suggest that an arrest warrant is blocked, Starmer responded: “That is a hypothetical and I do not think I can answer”.
“The answer is yes then”, retorted Clive Efford MP.
Starmer’s emails
Starmer’s emails may well hold answers to these questions.
However, most of the files requested by Declassified have been either redacted or retained. Only one of the emails released by the CPS shows a sender receipt from Starmer himself.
Stephen Parkinson, the current DPP, was asked to provide his “reasonable opinion” on whether the release of these emails would or would be likely to prejudice or inhibit “the effective conduct of public affairs”. Parkinson judged that it would.
Declassified has asked the CPS to conduct an internal review into this decision.
As Oliver Eagleton argued in his book The Starmer Project, it was also within Starmer’s power to challenge the Foreign Office’s “unprecedented and legally dubious” move “by pressing ahead with the application” for Livni’s arrest.
Starmer nonetheless refused to put his stamp of approval on the arrest warrant, and Livni walked free.
A CPS spokesperson said at the time: “The DPP has refused to give his consent to the private prosecutor to make an application to the court for an arrest warrant. In considering this application, he has consulted the Attorney General, but the decision is his”.
The UK government has continued to offer diplomatic immunity to Israeli officials amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
On 6 March, the Foreign Office granted a “special mission” certificate to Israeli war minister Benny Gantz, who was visiting Britain for meetings with UK foreign secretary David Cameron.
John McEvoy from Declassified UK :
John McEvoy is an independent journalist who has written for International History Review, The Canary, Tribune Magazine, Jacobin and Brasil Wire.
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Categories: Breaking News
Why do these officials use/abuse their power in this way …….? Because, in all likelihood, they are being blackmailed, bribed or threatened in some way. There is no other rational explanation. Think of the catch-cry – “Anti-Semitic!” That fits two of those categories immediately. There’s probably some well-tried laws prohibiting these kinds of blanket statements. Everything else Israel does appears to be illegal so why not this?
I’m fairly sure I am correct in saying that Starmer is a Jew.
Of COURSE, he is!
Aren’t they all!?
Hi Watcher Seeker,
If 80 percent of our MP’s in the UK are ‘Friends of Israel’
then you will be correct.
My MP Ed Miliband, could not remember if he was or not ?
But his family did come from Europe during the War.
This is why our Country cannot help Palestine.
Hamas started it and the Israeli’s are finishing it. Hamas does not fight like men do, they hide in areas where there are civilians and schools with kids and fight from there – Cowards – do that, so what are Hamas then?
It started in 1948 not in 2023.
The claim of just wanting to catch and punish those who carried out the Oct 7th attack – is a lie – see what they are really doing –
“Apologists for Israel’s Mass Murder in Gaza Fall Back on ‘Antisemitism’ Claims”
https://original.antiwar.com/solomon/2024/03/21/apologists-for-israels-mass-murder-in-gaza-fall-back-on-antisemitism-claims/
“Israel Bombed Over 400 Healthcare Facilities, Killing Nearly 700”
https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/israel-bombed-over-400-healthcare-facilities-killing-nearly-700/
“Physicians Describe ‘Most Appalling Atrocities’ in Gaza”
https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/physicians-describe-most-appalling-atrocities-in-gaza/
“Torture, Executions, Babies Left to Die, Sexual Abuse… These Are Israel’s Crimes”.
https://www.unz.com/jcook/torture-executions-babies-left-to-die-sexual-abuse-these-are-israels-crimes/
“WaPo Says Biden Knew Israel Was Purposefully Killing Kids in October, Continued to Say They Were “Defending Themselves”.
https://www.unz.com/aanglin/wapo-says-biden-knew-israel-was-purposefully-killing-kids-in-october-continued-to-say-they-were-defending-themselves/
The mass slaughter exposes that lie. They used to the Oct 7th attack to suit their aims, one of which is this, and then of course there are the gas fields off the coast of Gaza –
“Jared Kushner praises ‘very valuable’ potential of Gaza’s ‘waterfront properties’ – as Trump’s son-in-law suggests Israel ought to ‘move people out and then clean it up”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13216651/Jared-Kushner-Israel-Gaza-waterfront-property.html
Cowards? You read too much of the bluff in the Zionist media.
The Palestinians are brave beyond words – and here is proof –
“Israel-Gaza war: Gazan girl begs rescuers to save brother first as entire family killed”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68625406
I’ve fought alongside Palestinian soldiers!
They ARE brave, stout warriors!
Not like the “Israelis”, who all wear DIAPERS in battle!
“Hamas started it” – started what? This article is about alleged Israeli war crimes during the brutal bombing of Gaza in 2008 and about Starmer’s actions in 2011.
You ignore the issues, you just wanted to post a hate-filled comment.
Hamas is jewish you jew troll
Note – “Prior to this, Livni had declared: “I am a lawyer… But I am against law – international law in particular. Law in general”.” – are there any Israeli cabinet ministers who respect international law? Are there any US leaders who respect international law? Does the UK respect international law?
Why is Russia not allowed to protect itself
and Israel allowed to commit Genocide!?
Why!?
Because Israel rules the world!
It seems to me that the way these UK politicians acted could be described as “aiding and abetting”.
It is my view that they also committed inchoate offences (https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/inchoate-offences).
However, they make the rules so they will never be charged.
Omg 😮
Hi Plutonium,
Seems Amir Weitmann is obviously in need of medical attention.
How can Palestinians, with no Army, Airforce or Navy, start a war ?
Seems Amir is delusional and psychopathic, what an excuse for a human ?
Jew
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