Editorial: ​America rejects outrageous bid to arrest Netanyahu

​Today the new US president Donald Trump meets Israel’s prime minister in the US.

​It is a very important meeting for obvious reasons, given the tentative ceasefire in the Middle East. Mr Netanyahu faces pressure both from his right-wing coalition to end a temporary truce against Hamas in Gaza, and from war-weary Israelis who want the hostages home. But there is another, vital element to the meeting – the symbolism of the encounter. Mr Netanyahu can barely set foot in any other nation without fear of arrest, not even the UK, a key Israel ally.

It is shocking that the government of Sir Keir Starmer has implied that it would act on the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, which was ratified in November. But such an approach reflects Sir Keir’s obsession with so-called ‘human rights’ law and international law, no matter how grotesque the outcome.

In Northern Ireland, Irish republican terrorists and their legal and academic helpers have ensured a focus on Article Two of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) that means that allegations against state forces in relation to Troubles killings are absorbing the great bulk of legacy investigations. Consequently, the reputation of the security forces, who prevented civil war in Northern Ireland, are being destroyed. Clearly the UK should leave the ECHR on the basis of this, and a host of other outrages, such as the court’s reach meaning – in effect – that UK is not allowed to control its borders and deport illegal immigrants.

The ICC has perpetuated another outrage, equating the hyper civilised Israeli democracy with the mass murdering Islamic barbarians of Hamas. America rejects such nonsense. Sadly Mr Netanyahu is at risk of arrest almost anywhere en route to Washington if his plane had to touch down in an emergency. But in the US, thank goodness, he is safe and indeed an honoured guest.