THE majority of people in the UK say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested if he steps foot on British soil, a poll has shown.
A Find Out Now poll conducted on November 22 found 42% of people want to see him arrested after the International Criminal Court issued warrants for him and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant last week.
The ICC has ruled that there are reasonable grounds on which to arrest the pair for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
An arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who Israel says is dead.
Just 14% of people in the poll said they did not want to see Netanyahu arrested following the ruling.
Nearly two-thirds of Labour voters (58%) said they wanted to see the Israeli PM detained if he comes to the UK, while the level was similar (57%) for LibDem supporters.
Green voters were the most keen to see Netanyahu arrested (76%) while Reform voters were the least keen, with just 28% voting for his arrest.
Conservative voters were the most evenly split, with 37% saying Netanyahu should be arrested and 30% saying he shouldn’t be.
‼️ Brits say Netanyahu should be arrested: ✅ Should: 42% ❌ Should not: 14%Greens (76%) are keenest to see him arrested. Via @FindoutnowUK, 22 November 2024 pic.twitter.com/26Ga91bAt0
— Stats for Lefties 🍉🏳️⚧️ (@LeftieStats) November 25, 2024
The court said it found that the alleged crimes against humanity were part of a "widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza".
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Friday the UK would arrest Netanyahu if he stepped foot in the country but added Keir Starmer would continue to talk to the Israeli PM.
The Labour Government is legally obliged, under the 2001 ICC Act as well as the Rome Statute, to rubber-stamp and then carry out the arrest warrant should Netanyahu visit the UK.
Number 10 said that the domestic process linked to ICC arrest warrants has never been used to date by the UK because no one wanted by the international court had visited the country.
Netanyahu last visited the UK in March 2023.
Emily Thornberry, the Labour MP who served as Keir Starmer’s shadow attorney general before the General Election, has been clear that there is no legal barrier to the UK Government upholding the ICC warrants.
She said: “[It’s] not really a question of should, we are required to because we are members of the ICC."
