New poll reveals strong British support for ICC arrest warrants against Israeli leaders

The majority of Britons believe that authorities should arrest any individual with an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against them if they enter British jurisdiction, a new poll has shown.

Eighty-four percent of the British public back arresting those wanted by the ICC, whose chief prosecutor, Karim Khan,recently requested arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.

The study comes from a YouGov poll commissioned by the UK’s Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). 

The survey, conducted last month, also revealed that a majority, 58 percent, favour ending UK arms sales to Israel, with only 18 percent opposed.

Additionally, 74 percent of the British public support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. 

The study also found strong public backing not only for a ceasefire but also for accountability for violations of international law. 

The organisations emphasised that these findings demonstrate the British public's clear and consistent stance on the actions the UK should take to prevent further atrocities amid the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in over 39,000 Palestinians killed and at least 91,000 wounded. 

Chris Doyle, director of Caabu, told The New Arab that with the British government potentially enforcing ICC arrest warrants within days or weeks, he hopes that public backing can push for swifter action to end the months-long Israeli assault in Gaza. 

"It’s a great sign that in an uncertain world—one where international law has been trampled all over—the British public remains steadfastly in support of respecting these institutions and upholding international law," Doyle said. 

"I hope that it’s not just the government and ministers that look at this, but all politicians, regardless of their political persuasion, and that this influences their debates in Parliament."

He added: "There has been a huge gap, a chasm, between the position of the government—both the previous government and the current one—and public opinion on the issue of what is happening in Gaza. That is also why you find overwhelming support for an immediate ceasefire and a majority in favour of an arms ban on Israel." 

The latest show of support for Britain to comply with ICC arrest warrants comes after a formal complaint was issued by a leading UK Palestinian rights legal centre in May, accusing several British government officials of complicity in facilitating war crimes in Gaza. 

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) filed an 800-page dossier of evidence to Scotland Yard, which it claims contains proof of genocide in Gaza. 

The ICJP also named nine British citizens who travelled to Israel to fight in the Israeli military, as well as senior Israeli government officials, including members of Israel's war cabinet and high-ranking military personnel. 

In June, the legal centre made another criminal complaint accusing a British-born Israeli ex-government official of violating international law, after issuing the war crimes unit of London's Metropolitan Police with a complaint. 

While the current Labour government has since confirmed that London is set to withdraw the previous Conservative government’s objection to Khan’s request, ICJP's legal officer Mira Naseer told The New Arab that Britain must still consider "the clear public opinion and take action to support accountability both at the international level and domestically."

"The Labour government must now go further to show its commitment to upholding the international legal order," Naseer added. 

“This includes supporting the ICC’s investigation and the Prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants. It also means using British domestic law, including universal jurisdiction principles, to investigate and prosecute individuals who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine."