British authorities gave special diplomatic immunity to an Israeli General to visit the UK last month, the government has confirmed.
According to the outlet, Declassified UK, Israeli General Oded Basyuk led a delegation to London on 22 January, holding meetings at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and other government departments in Whitehall. They were seen in a video at the time refusing to answer and avoiding questions about the possibility of being investigated for war crimes in Gaza.
Now, in response to a parliamentary question from Brian Leishman, Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, the government has admitted it “gave consent for special mission status for the visit to the UK on 21-22 January of Major General Oded Bassiuk … and [his] delegation” to participate in meetings with MoD, Foreign Office and Cabinet Office officials.
Serving as the head of the Israeli military’s Operations Directorate, responsible for preparing the combat-readiness of Israeli forces, General Basyuk was reportedly on the ground in Gaza throughout much of the Occupation’s 15-month offensive on the besieged Strip. He also oversaw many of the decisions taken by Israeli forces during last year’s invasion of southern Lebanon.
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His prominent involvement implicates him in the Israeli military’s war crimes, violations of international law and genocidal acts within the Palestinian Territory. That led many to ask why he was not arrested upon his arrival to the UK, particularly at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, have arrest warrants on their heads issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Although Basyuk does not currently have an ICC warrant issued against him, British authorities could still arrest him under universal jurisdiction legislation, which enables prosecution for the most serious crimes regardless of where they are committed. What prevented that from taking place, however, is the ‘special mission status’ granted to Basyuk and other Israeli military officials over the past year.
According to the Foreign Office, “Government officials from any country can apply for and be granted special mission certificates as part of official visits to the UK.” It described the status as “a temporary mission, representing a State, which is sent by one State to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official engagements on behalf of the sending State”.