JERUSALEM - A group of Israeli military officers called off
an official visit to Britain last week, fearing they could
face arrest on war crimes charges, officials said Tuesday.

The four unidentified officers, holding ranks from major to
colonel, are the latest in a string of Israeli politicians
and military officials forced to call off travel to Britain
over fears of legal prosecution relating to last year's
offensive on the Gaza Strip.

Britain is one of the European pioneers of universal
jurisdiction, a broad legal concept that empowers judges to
issue arrest warrants for nearly any visitor accused of
committing war crimes anywhere in the world.

Pro-Palestinian activists have sought to use this concept to
press charges against Israelis involved in military
operations in Palestinian territories, particularly since
last year's Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. British
officials have vowed to change the law.

The announcement of the cancellation came as Britain's
attorney general, Patricia Janet Scotland, was in Israel on
a private visit. She met Tuesday with Israeli deputy Foreign
Minister Danny Ayalon, who called the situation
"intolerable," according to a statement from his office,
adding, "this makes normal relations between the two
countries difficult."

The statement said Scotland "stated that she is aware of the
importance of finding an urgent solution to this issue" and
said her government was considering options to resolve it.

The Israeli delegation had been invited to visit by the
British army. But officials said they were forced to call
off the trip after their British counterparts could not
guarantee that they would not be arrested.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the
matter has become a sore point in relations with Britain.
Neither the Israeli military nor the British government
would comment.

Last month, pro-Palestinian activists persuaded a London
judge to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli politician
Tzipi Livni, who was foreign minister during the war in Gaza
last year. The warrant was withdrawn after Livni canceled
her trip, but the matter strained relations between Britain
and Israel.

More than 1,400 Palestinians, including hundreds of
civilians, were killed in the three-week offensive, which
was launched to stop years of rocket attacks from Gaza on
southern Israel. Thirteen Israelis were also killed. A U.N.
investigation accused both Israel and Hamas militants of
committing war crimes during the fighting.

The threat of arrest has forced several former security
officials to call off trips to London, including a former
general who remained holed up on an airplane at Heathrow
Airport in order to avoid arrest. Last fall, Defense
Minister Ehud Barak fended off an arrest attempt by
successfully arguing he had diplomatic immunity.

In Britain, pro-Palestinian groups have condemned moves to
reform the law.

"We believe no attempt should be made (to change the law),"
said Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the Muslim Council of
Britain. "There's no reason why Israel should be singled out
for special treatment. If they're accused of war crimes, we
have a duty - and legislation - to prosecute."

___

AP correspondent Jill Lawless contributed reporting from London.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100105/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_britain
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