The Conservative government would defy an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if re-elected in July, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden has told the JC.
In an exclusive interview, the Conservative MP and candidate for Hertsmere, the most Jewish constituency outside London, criticised the ICC’s decision to file for arrest warrants for both Israel’s PM and Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant.
The Deputy PM said he would “question the applicability of ICC arrest warrants to serving heads of state”. The government “vigorously disputed” it because “Israel has a right to defend itself”, he said, adding that an ICC warrant would not help achieve a “temporary cessation hostilities, to bring the hostages home” or get more aid into Gaza.
When asked to confirm whether the government would comply with any warrant against Netanyahu, Dowden answered with an unequivocal “no”.
In a wide-ranging discussion focused on the July 4 general election, Dowden was quick to point out what he called Labour’s “equivocation” when it came to supporting Israel.
Deputy PM Oliver Dowden (right) with the JC's political correspondent (left)
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who on October 8 told a Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) event that “Israel has a right to self-defence against terrorism”, backed the ICC’s probe saying that “democracies who believe in the rule of law must submit themselves to it”.
Jewish voters had noticed this volte-face, Dowden claimed, which he contrasted with the Conservative government’s “robust” backing of Israel in the face of mounting domestic and international outrage. Labour had “buckled” under pressure in opposition, he added, and wasn’t prepared for the sort of intensity that comes with being in power.
When challenged with the fact that, unlike the government, Labour has committed to proscribing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Dowden asked voters to judge the government’s actions by how the RAF helped intercept Iranian missiles and drones in Israeli skies in April.
“Israel was attacked by Iran for the first time in the history of the United Kingdom. It was this government that stood up and supported Israel,” he said. “I think you can see that commitment.”
The Deputy PM was highly critical of the BBC, slamming the state broadcaster for refusing to call Hamas terrorists. “The single biggest thing they could do is just say, totally unequivocally, that Hamas are a terrorist organisation, not an organisation that the UK government describes as terrorists,” he said.
Rather than call pro-Palestine rallies “hate marches” as his former cabinet colleague Suella Braverman did, Dowden defended their democratic right to protest, despite his “grave” concern about them.
He did, however, note that the same “vigour” shown by protesters has been absent in decrying the human casualties in other conflicts.
He said: “Where are the protests on campuses about Sudan? Where are the protests about the horrors of what happened in the civil war in Syria? As soon as Israel is involved, that’s what motivates them.”
While he didn’t think everyone going on pro-Palestine marches was fuelled by prejudice, some, he said, were motivated by antisemitism and hate.
According to most opinion polls, Dowden and his Conservative colleagues are heading into opposition. But with a majority of just over 21,000, it seems absurd to talk about the Deputy PM losing his seat.
However, a GB News poll suggested the Conservatives face a wipe-out at the ballot box and reduced to under 100 seats (they won 365 in 2019). YouGov have given Labour a lead over the Conservatives of over 20 per cent in every opinion poll since April. In 2023, the Conservatives lost control of Hertsmere Borough Council with a Labour and Lib Dem coalition taking over. Labour’s selection of Gogglebox star Josh Tapper has made some wonder whether Hertsmere could feature this election’s Portillo moment.
Deputy PM Oliver Dowden in Bushey
The Deputy PM insisted isn’t taking anything or anyone for granted. Although he plays a key role in national politics, his pride in representing the area he grew up in is obvious.
He is able to rattle off a list of local achievements, including bringing the Oystercard to Bushey station, and is critical of Labour-Lib Dem council proposals to charge residents for bin collection, which he said was headed off by the Tories.
He also raised the spectre of what Sir Keir Starmer might do to the greenbelt, which he insisted locals were “very worried about”.
The deputy prime minister said: “People look at the policies of Labour, where they want to make chunks of the greenbelt into ‘grey belt’. We all know that what that means: turn the greenbelt into greybelt and build all over it.”
Deputy PM Oliver Dowden at a Yom HaShoah event
Although not Jewish, his allyship to the community, he insisted, was something he had demonstrated for a long time. “When I was a backbencher, I was officer of the Conservative Friends of Israel and Chair of the APPG for British Jews,” he recalled.
Dowden also spoke with sorrow about the need for record-levels of government funding (£54m) to the Community Security Trust. “One of the saddest things is when you go to our local schools and the synagogues, you see the level of security that we have,” he said.
