Govt faces serious lobbying from pro-Israel organisations to change War Crimes legislation

Friday, 29 January 2010 13:39

The Jewish Chronicle front page today revisits the heavy lobbying Government is facing from Anglo-Jewish organisations to amend universal jurisdiction provisions before the next election.

The paper two weeks ago reported that the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, was pushing for legislation to be placed on the statute books before the window of opportunity of passing it during the current parliamentary term closes.

The JC today reports that the proposed changes to the law to protect Israeli officials accused of committing war crimes from arrest and prosecution in the UK, has hit a stumbling block. The paper cites a source claiming that Justice Minister, Jack Straw, is frustrating Miliband’s efforts to keep on track.

The paper states:

‘Mr Straw is known to be highly sensitive to the views of his Muslim constituents in Blackburn and is close to the Muslim Council of Britain, which opposes a change to the law.

‘…according to a highly placed source, the Justice Secretary is “pulling every trick in the book” to frustrate Mr Miliband’s move to deal with it.

‘The source said: “Every time a deal seems close to being done, Jack finds another ‘obstacle’. He is the block. Without him this would have been dealt with weeks ago.”’

Strange that the JC should allude to Jack Straw’s relationship with the MCB as possible reasons for his standing in the way of changes to the law. Particularly since a number of lawyers, academics and human rights activists put their names to an open letter in the Guardian urging the Government not to tamper with laws designed to protect the victims of war crimes from pursuing their aggressors in the UK.

Amnesty International too has launched a campaign appealing to Government not to sacrifice universal jurisdiction to political expediency. The matter of changing the law to assuage Israeli officials and sections of the British Jewish community has attracted opposition from more than just the MCB. Those committed to human rights, their preservation and the legal redress universal jurisdiction offers, are similarly horrified at efforts to change the law to suit Israelis. Why single out the MCB?

The JC article continues:

‘The source added: “The MCB must be laughing its head off. It was let back in and the government has gained nothing in return. Nothing.”’

A statement which is hugely revealing. It should be recalled that the Board of Deputies in its joint submission (with the Community Security Trust) to the CLG committee inquiry into Prevent sought to stipulate conditions to be applied to government engagement with the MCB.

The submission stated:

“Any future engagement with umbrella groups such as the Muslim Council of Britain must be contingent on them representing a greater range of views than those of the Islamists, and firmly rejecting violence in all circumstances, including in overseas conflicts.”

“There is no long-term value in building partnerships with those whose attitude towards violent jihad is contingent upon circumstance.”

This last sentence is particularly ironic if one considers the attempts now by Anglo-Jewish organisations to make the law on universal jurisdiction ‘contingent upon circumstance’. Circumstance being the interests of the pro-Israel lobby and the Israeli government.

The article concludes with:

‘Sources close to the Jewish Leadership Council confirmed that representations to the government had intensified over the past week. It is believed that a make-or-break stage has been reached.

‘Another senior community figure told the JC that “the chance must be somewhere close to zero” of the government “doing what it promised”.

‘There has also been a great deal of discussion about whether to attach the necessary amendment to a Ministry of Justice or Home Office bill.

‘It is now thought likely that Home Secretary Alan Johnson will be asked to guide any law change through Parliament in order to reduce the political damage to Mr Straw.’

Again, for those of you who have not done so yet, we urge you to take action now to stop the government’s attempts to revise the law on universal jurisdiction to protect Israelis from being pursued in the UK for alleged war crimes. It should be the government’s stated objective to allow the law to take its course and for those indicted for alleged war crimes, whether Israeli or otherwise, to clear their names in court on presentation of valid evidence. To change the law to subvert the legal process is to bring the law and our system of upholding justice into disrepute.

You can find out more about the Amnesty International campaign here. And details of how to contact your MP here.

You have an opportunity to do something of great significance. Don’t pass it up.