Nearly 40,000 sign petition to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu

A petition to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “war crimes” when he next comes to the UK has been signed by nearly 40,000 people.

The petition, created by Damian Moran, reads: “Benjamin Netanyahu is to hold talks in London this September. Under international law he should be arrested for war crimes upon arrival in the UK for the massacre of over 2,000 civilians in 2014.”

The UK’s parliament website, where the online petition was set up, mandates that any petition receiving 100,000 signatures will be debated in Parliament. So far 39,386 people have signed it.

Sir Mick Davis, Chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, said of the upcoming visit:

“The Jewish Leadership Council will proudly welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu on his important visit to the United Kingdom in September. As British citizens our community enjoys great freedom and security in the United Kingdom and our deep and close relationship with the State of Israel plays an ever more important role in our culture and identity.

“I truly hope that Britain will be at the front line in protecting Israel, enforcing the provisions of the Iran agreement if it is ratified and stand against Iran’s dangerous destabilising policies in the Middle East against the threat that the current Iranian regime continues to pose to both Israel and the world.

“I hope that the political link continues to emulate the successful trade and cultural ties that the United Kingdom and Israel enjoy.”