Netanyahu says Keir Starmer’s Labour party has ‘undermined’ Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Labour of undermining Israel as a second wave of booby-traps rocked the Middle East. In an interview with the Mail, Israel’s prime minister attacked Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘misguided’ administration. And he accused the Prime Minister of ‘sending a horrible message’ to Hamas after the UK Government suspended a raft of arms licences to Israel.

The Jewish State’s longest serving leader also slammed looming arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) as ‘preposterous’ in his first British newspaper interview since the October 7 attack. His responses were given days before thousands of Hezbollah fighters were maimed when hand-held pagers exploded in Syria and Lebanon on Tuesday. Yesterday another 14 people were killed and 450 injured when walkie-talkies used by the terror group detonated across Lebanon.

Israel has not yet commented on either attack – although it is widely believed they were orchestrated by the country’s spy agency Mossad In an astonishing broadside at Sir Keir, Mr Netanyahu told the Mail: ‘After the October 7 Hamas massacre, the previous British government was clear in its support. Unfortunately, the current government is sending mixed messages. ‘They say that Israel has the right to defend itself, but they undermine our ability to exercise that right both by reversing Britain’s position on the absurd allegations made by the ICC prosecutor against Israel and by blocking weapons sales to Israel as we fight against the genocidal terrorist organisation that carried out the October 7 massacre.’

Sir Keir told Parliament at the time that the ‘difficult issue’ of a partial arms embargo was ‘a legal decision not a policy decision’. He said the decision was taken following a review by the Foreign Office into Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas. But the timing of the partial arms embargo was criticised – coming days after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages. When his office announced the measure, a spokesman for the PM said this was a ‘proposal by the previous government which was not submitted before the Election’.

But Mr Netanyahu slammed the move, saying: ‘Israel is waging a just war with just means, taking unprecedented measures to keep civilians out of harm’s way and comporting fully with international law. Most recently, the new UK government suspended 30 arms licences to Israel, days after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages, sending a horrible message to Hamas.’

‘These misguided decisions will not change Israel’s determination to defeat Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organisation that savagely murdered 1,200 people on October 7, including 14 British citizens, and took 255 people, including five British hostages. Just as Britain’s heroic stand against the Nazis is seen today as having been vital in defeating barbarism, so too will history judge Israel’s stand against Hamas and Iran’s axis of terror. Israel will win this war and secure our common future.’

The ICC is expected to issue warrants against Mr Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes over the conflict in Gaza which Hamas says has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians. Rishi Sunak’s government had reportedly filed an amicus brief saying it would challenge the court over the decision in June. In return, Britain would get access to the prison conditions of Hamas terrorists held by Israel amid mounting concern over human rights abuses being committed. But, since coming to power, Sir Keir’s administration has signalled it will no longer challenge any warrant from the ICC – breaking with allies such as the US.

Mr Netanyahu added: ‘The Labour ­Government decided to drop its challenge to the preposterous ICC arrest warrants that were requested by the ICC prosecutor against the prime minister and the defence minister of Israel. If the arrest warrants are issued against the leaders of the only democracy in the Middle East, it will compromise the ability of all democracies in the world to fight terrorism, including Britain. President Biden and others called these arrest warrants ‘outrageous’. Britain’s General Sir John McColl… said after visiting Gaza, ‘I fought in Iraq – I know Israel is doing all it can to save civilians. For the ICC prosecutor to falsely accuse the leader of Israel of deliberate starvation and deliberately targeting civilians is an outrageous slander that can’t be explained by anything other than anti-Semitism and will forever stain the ICC’s reputation. ‘The principle is simple: justice for all nations except the Jews.’

Mr Netanyahu also hit out at rising anti-Semitism on British streets, saying: ‘Britain is witnessing shameless anti-Semitism on its campuses, at its city centres and in many parts of the country. It is worrisome. I trust and expect that the UK leadership will take the necessary steps to root out this scourge.’ A Foreign Office source last night said the government remains ‘a friend of Israel’. But a spokesman said that ‘regrettably’ Israel had failed to address concerns about alleged human rights violations.

The spokesman added: ‘We have been absolutely clear that when taking military action to support its legitimate right to self-defence, Israel must adhere to International Humanitarian Law. The UK has raised concerns about these issues over many months, and so have other allies. Regrettably, these concerns have not been satisfactorily addressed. Our priority remains achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, the hostages released, civilians protected and aid flood in. There is no place in Britain for antisemitism, and we will not relent in our work to root out hatred in all forms. This government is committed to multi-year funding for the Community Security Trust, and working with the Jewish Community and police to ensure that everyone feels safe on our streets.’

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