Israel holding talks with Spain in an attempt to stop arrest warrants against senior officials

Saturday October 04, 2008 03:44 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli sources reported on Friday that the Israeli government is holding secret talks with the Spanish government in an attempt to stop the Spanish Legal System from issuing arrest warrants against seven senior Israeli security and military officials accused of committing war crimes against the Palestinian people.  

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A Spanish human rights group filed a case to the Spanish legal system against the former Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, former Shabak head Avi Dichter, former chief of staff Bogi Yaalon, former Air Force commander Dan Halutz, former chief of military operations Giora Island, and the former commander of the Southern Brigade Doron Almong.

The group demanded an international arrest warrant against the officials for committing war crimes after ordering the army to shell a civilian residential building in Gaza in order to assassinate, Salah Shihada ,a leader of the Al-Qassam Brigades,.

The assassination took place six years ago, Shihada was killed but fifteen civilians, including eleven children, were also killed and dozens of civilians were wounded.

After the case was filed to the Spanish High Court, the Spanish authorities handed Israel a secret letter demanding to be informed if Israel carried any acts against the accused and whether they are still in their positions or still have immunity.

Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, reported that Israeli officials predict that providing explanation to what was mentioned n the letter could affect the case.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry advised the accused officials to refrain from traveling to Spain and the Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, sent a letter to the Spanish Foreign Minister, Migael Moratinos, asking him to intervene in order to resolve this issue.

Livni claimed that this case is “political in nature and hostile towards Israel”.

Spain is one of the member countries of the International Court in The Hague and its constitution allows filing cases against persons accused of involvement in committing war crimes.

Also, according to convention of the Geneva Court any member country of the International Court is entitled to prosecute persons accused of committing war crimes anywhere in the world.

In is worth mentioning that several years ago, Israel snuck the former Israeli Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz, out of the UK after he was informed that the is a warrant to arrest him. Also, general Almong flew to the UK and when the plane landed, he was informed the there is a warrant for his arrest and he remained in the plane before flying out of the country.

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