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Call for ‘blockades’ as Israeli president reportedly heading to the UK

According to the Guardian, Israeli prime minister Isaac Herzog is coming to the UK on Thursday 11 September. The visit will take place in the run up to the UK recognising Palestinian statehood, leading many to suspect that Herzog is travelling here to turn government ministers off the idea. This has led to significant outrage, with many arguing that Herzog should face arrest for statements he’s made about Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.

“Death, destruction, and starvation”

The Guardian notes that there was another visit from a senior Israeli politician earlier this year, when foreign secretary David Lammy hosted an “unannounced visit” from his counterpart Gideon Sa’ar. Generally, it’s not seen as a good thing when politicians have to obscure their meetings from the public, and it speaks to the irreparable damage that Israel has done to its reputation. Speaking on this new visit, the Guardian wrote:

However, any meeting between Herzog and Keir Starmer is likely to be hugely controversial within Labour amid the death, destruction and starvation wreaked by Israel’s war in Gaza. No 10 has not confirmed a meeting between Herzog and the prime minister.

Downing Street has previously indicated that the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, faces arrest if he travels to the UK after the international criminal court issued an arrest warrant for him over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Unlike Netanyahu, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has not issued an arrest warrant against Herzog. Some, however, believe this is a mistake, with Herzog having said the following in October 2023 after Israel began its genocide against the Palestinian people (as reported by Human Rights Watch):

It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. This rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved, it’s absolutely not true. They could’ve risen up; they could have fought against that evil regime

The argument is that Herzog was condoning collective punishment, which is a war crime, as Medicens Sans Frontieres explain:

International humanitarian law posits that no person may be punished for acts that he or she did not commit. It ensures that the collective punishment of a group of persons for a crime committed by an individual is also forbidden, whether in the case of prisoners of war or of any other individuals (GCIII Art. 87, API Art. 75.2.d, APII Art. 4.2.b). This is one of the fundamental guarantees established by the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols. This guarantee is applicable not only to protected persons but to all individuals, no matter what their status or to what category of persons they belong, as defined by the Geneva Conventions (GCIV Art. 33).

Collective punishment is prohibited, based on the fact that criminal responsibility can be attributed only to individuals. Respect for this principle can be ensured solely by establishing guarantees that protect judicial procedures. This principle must also be monitored in the context of disciplinary sanctions procedures.

Following Israel’s order for Palestinians to evacuate in 2023, the UN special rapporteur on internally displaced persons said:

Forcible population transfers constitute a crime against humanity, and collective punishment is prohibited under international humanitarian law…

It is inconceivable that more than half of Gaza’s population could traverse an active war zone, without devastating humanitarian consequences, particularly while deprived of essential supplies and basic services.

“The Genocide Party”

Zarah Sultana led the condemnation of Labour:

X/Twitter user Saul Staniforth highlighted an example of Herzog defending the indefensible:

Popular left voices Tom London and Craig Murray called for ‘arrests’ and ‘blockades’:

Green politician Sian Berry referred to Herzog as an “agent of genocide” – a phrase which could equally be levied against the UK ministers who are providing weapons and support to Israel:

Journalist Hamza Yusuf noted that Herzog committed the depraved act of signing bombs to be used against the Palestinians:

Trade unionist Howard Beckett posted a picture of this act when Lammy met Herzog in July 2024:

Herzog visit: this cannot stand

Labour are obviously rattled by the public outcry against the genocide; if they weren’t, they wouldn’t be threatening to recognise Palestinian statehood. While recognising statehood is far less important than stopping the flow of money, weapons, and intelligence, it is at least something that Israel loathes the thought of happening, and as such we must step up the pressure until it is done.

Featured image via The Economic Times

By Willem Moore

This post was originally published on Canary.