UK would follow 'due process' if Netanyahu were to visit, says foreign minister

Britain would follow due process if Benjamin Netanyahu visited the UK, foreign minister David Lammy said on Monday when asked if London would fulfill the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister.

"We are signatories to the Rome Statute; we have always been committed to our obligations under international law and international humanitarian law," Lammy told reporters at a G7 meeting in Italy.

"Of course, if there were to be such a visit to the UK, there would be a court process, and due process would be followed in relation to those issues."

European response

Several other European countries, including Ireland and Germany, have announced in the past that they will respect the judges' ruling in the pre-trial chamber if they issue arrest warrants.

The Netherlands and France announced that they, too, would do so. The consequence is that Netanyahu and Gallant will not receive immunity from arrest from these countries if they visit them. This is the first time that leaders of a democratic country have faced arrest warrants of the court, which has 123 member states.

On Saturday, Norway implied it would abide by the ICC's decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials.

"The ICC plays a crucial role in ensuring accountability for serious crimes," Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated.