- Pacific
International Arrest
Warrants Awaiting
Scores of Top-Ranking Israeli Officials
By Richard Walker
International laws are making it increasingly difficult for
Israeli diplomats, intelligence officers, generals and even former top military officers
to travel the globe without being arrested on international warrants. Judging by the sheer
number of outstanding warrants, any Israelis deemed to have committed crimes against
Palestinian civilians are now at a higher risk than ever of being seized at airports and
handed over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The problem facing Israel has been highlighted by Interpol issuing arrest warrants for 27
Mossad agents directly involved in the recent planning and assassination of a Hamas leader
in Dubai. That murder came on the heels of a UN report accusing Israel of war crimes
during its siege and invasion of the Gaza Strip, making it even more likely that senior
military and political figures involved in that operation could someday be arrested if
they visit one of the many nations that are signatories to the international court.
Israel’s problem in respect to warrants is compounded by the fact that scores of
retired military and intelligence figures earn a big money representing arms dealers and
security companies. Others act in an advisory capacity to armies and militia groups
worldwide. Those jobs involve considerable travel. Nowadays, with increased security at
ports of entry in many nations, it is difficult for anyone to get on a plane, boat or
train without leaving a trace of his or her identity.
That level of security poses a risk to all those deemed to have committed crimes against
humanity. For wanted Israelis, those crimes include the following: the shelling of
civilian areas of Gaza; the bulldozing of Palestinian homes; unlawful arrest,
interrogation, detention and torture of suspects; the political and military authorizing
of phosphorus munitions against civilian neighborhoods; the wanton use of cluster bombs to
contaminate farmland as happened in Lebanon and the destruction of civilian infrastructure
in order to punish the population by denying people water, electricity, food, proper
medical care and sewerage facilities.
Rights groups and their lawyers say there is more than sufficient evidence to show that
Israel has a case to answer for in all those criminal categories.
Hidden in lawyers’ desks throughout Europe are large numbers of warrants that have
been drawn up at the request of human rights’ organizations. The warrants are
targeted at a wide range of Israeli figures, including serving and former Cabinet
ministers, intelligence chiefs, generals and military officers down to brigade level. The
danger for all of those named is that, if it is learned they are visiting relatives or
attending conferences outside Israel, the warrants will be dusted off.
Unfortunately, a country where no such warrant can be served is the United States because
of political influence over “our” FBI. Nevertheless, Israel is well aware of the
risks posed by international warrants. In the past warrants were issued in Colombia for
three Israelis alleged to have trained paramilitaries who ran death squads. Colombia
accused the three of having been at one time on the payroll of drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Those warrants have not yet been served, just like the many warrants issued by the Russian
authorities for Russian Jewish billionaires, who used their joint Israeli-Russian
citizenship to find sanctuary in Israel after robbing Russia.
It is well known that Israel has an unstated policy of refusing to hand over any of its
citizens. That has encouraged Jews from many countries to hide out in Israel when faced
with arrest or imprisonment.
An indication of the risks facing Israel is that it almost lost one of its generals, Doron
Almog, to a warrant on Sept. 10, 2005. He was on a flight to London’s Heathrow
Airport when the Israeli embassy in London got a tip-off that lawyers were waiting at the
airport to serve him with a warrant from the International Court, alleging he had
committed war crimes by bulldozing over 50 homes in Gaza. The embassy was also told that
Scotland Yard had officers standing by to arrest him. The moment Almog’s plane
touched down in London, a diplomat from the embassy went on board and advised him not to
leave, saying he had immunity because the plane was deemed to be Israeli territory.
Almog did as he was told and returned to Israel on the same plane less than 24 hours
later. Reliable security sources accused the British authorities of tipping off the
Israelis to avoid an international incident.
Rights groups and their lawyers angrily pointed out that the plane was not sovereign
Israeli territory, and police officers should have taken the general from the plane by
force. [No one tried a “planes are sovereign territory” argument when Australian
historian Frederick Toeben was arrested at Heathrow en route to Dubai— Ed.] There was
such an outcry over the issue that it is believed an arrest will be made should a similar
case happen again in London.
In December 2009, an arrest warrant was issued in Britain for Tzipi Livni, who was the
Israeli foreign secretary during the war in Lebanon and the invasion of Gaza. On hearing
about the warrant, she canceled a planned trip to London.
Weeks earlier, one of the Israeli prime minister’s closest advisors also pulled out
of a UK trip aimed at fundraising within the Jewish community.
The most worrying issue for Israel is that the UN report accusing it of war crimes in Gaza
has been closely scrutinized by rights groups, who have meticulously drawn up warrants for
a long list of Israeli figures.
The Iranians claim to have their own list of over 100 Israelis they say committed war
crimes in Gaza. That list is believed to match one in the hands of many rights groups
across Europe and in other parts of the world. Richard Walker is the pen name of a
former N.Y. news producer. (Issue # 15 & 16, April 12 & 19, 2010) http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/international_arrest_warrants_.html