Israel and Britain: Tension Over Arrest Warrants Continues

Last week, Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon met with Britain's Attorney-General Baroness Scotland of Asthal to discuss how British law may affect Israeli officials visiting the United Kingdom.  Ayalon called the current situation "insufferable": "This will make it difficult for the two countries to maintain a normal relationship."

The meeting follows the revelations that a delegation of Israel Defense Forces officers canceled a planned visit to the UK after the British hosts failed to guarantee that arrest warrants would not be issued.

Baroness Scotland said that she is aware of how much Israel is heeding an urgent solution and of the very same attention British are currently showing to solve the problem. However, Ayalon continued:

If the British law remains unchanged, this would undermine the good relations between the two countries who share common values and interests. The British must bear in mind that these visits serve both countries.