Netanyahu Arrest Up for Debate as UK Petition Hits Target

"A petition on the British Parliament's website urging the UK to arrest Netanyahu for 'war crimes' has received more than 100,000 signatures, making the matter eligible for debate by lawmakers. The campaign reached its target on Saturday morning.

The petition demands that Netanyahu 'be arrested for war crimes upon arrival in the UK for the massacre of over 2,000 civilians in 2014,' a reference to the 51-day war between Israel and Hamas that summer...

he petition has already been dismissed by the British government and described by a senior Tory MP as 'completely absurd.'

'Under UK and international law, visiting heads of foreign governments, such as Prime Minister Netanyahu, have immunity from legal process, and cannot be arrested or detained,' the British government said in a formal response...

The petition does not mention Hamas, and offers a figure for civilian deaths far higher than Israel's, the UN's and even Hamas's.

The petition amounts to a 'meaningless publicity stunt,' Israel's embassy in London said. An embassy spokesman noted that despite the vociferous activism against Israel, trade and other cooperation between Israel and the UK are going dramatically. 'Mutual trade has doubled over recent years, while academic, scientific and cultural cooperation is constantly growing.'"