Spain ‘issues arrest warrant’ for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over 2010 Gaza flotilla

[Jefferson23]

We consider it to be a provocation. We are working with the Spanish authorities to get it cancelled’

Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith
Tuesday 17 November 2015

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and seven other former and current government officials are at risk of arrest if they set foot in Spain, after a Spanish judge effectively issued an arrest warrant for the group, it has been reported.

According to the Latin American Herald Tribune, Spanish national court judge Jose de la Mata ordered the police and civil guard to notify him if Mr Netanyahu and the six other individuals enter the country, as their actions could see a case against them regarding the Freedom Flotilla attack of 2010 reopened.

The other men named in the issue are former defence minister Ehud Barak, former foreign minister Avigdor Leiberman, former minister of strategic affairs Moshe Yaalon, former interior minister Eli Yishai, minister without portfolio Benny Begin and vice admiral maron Eliezer, who was in charge of the operation.

The case – which was put on hold by Judge de la Mata last year – was brought against the men following an attack by Israeli security forces against the Freedom Flotilla aid ships in 2010, which was trying to reach Gaza.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spain-issues-arrest-warrant-for-israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-over-2010-gaza-flotilla-a6736436.html

[6chars]

1. Spain is not being a serious country.

[Jefferson23]

2. How so? n/t

[6chars]

3. if you don't see why, i can't explain it to you

[Jefferson23]

5. Oh come on, I bet you could come up with something. n/t

[6chars]

10. Since you asked so nicely,

Not even Turkey is doing this.

If Spain applies this standard, they would have to have arrest warrants for Obama, Kerry, Clinton, and probably the majority of other leaders in the world. If they just want to ensure that Israeli types are not welcome in their country, they're making progress - wasn't it Spain that just tried to ban Matisyahu the Jewish reggae rapper?

[Jefferson23]

14. I suggest you not over reach. The history behind the decisions to prosecute, the motives

behind the actions to seek justice were applied to Bush and his cronies too.

Would you have disparaged the motives of Spain then as well?


I see repeated claims in this thread how terrible this is for Spain to
do, even calling them nutty. I am always disappointed to see criminality
supported for nationalistic reasons...dangerous mindsets abound.

Essentially what occurred, political pressure was applied to Spain and
that is why it failed ultimately to go forward..it is referred to as the universal
jurisdiction doctrine.

Here is more on the topic and the world is not a better place when we
have less accountability for the most powerful among us.

The End of Universal Jurisdiction
https://zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-end-of-universal-jurisdiction/

[shira]

21. When was Bush ever threatened with arrest, or Obama, in Spain or elsewhere? n/t

[Jefferson23]

24. They're not going after Obama. You don't read much out of Israeli news, do you? 2009:

Spanish judge to hear torture case against six Bush officials
Legal moves may force Obama's government into starting a new inquiry into abuses at Guantánamo Bay and Abu Ghraib

Julian Borger and Dale Fuchs in Madrid

Saturday 28 March 2009 20.01 EDT
Last modified on Saturday 4 October 2014 06.37 EDT



Criminal proceedings have begun in Spain against six senior officials in the Bush administration for the use of torture against detainees in Guantánamo Bay. Baltasar Garzón, the counter-terrorism judge whose prosecution of General Augusto Pinochet led to his arrest in Britain in 1998, has referred the case to the chief prosecutor before deciding whether to proceed.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/29/guantanamo-bay-torture-inquiry

[shira]

26. But no arrest warrants. The Jewish state is the first and only. Hmmm. n/t

[Jefferson23]

29. Wrong again, as usual. n/t

[shira]

30. The fact is Spain hasn't issued arrest warrants for any US Presidents....

...or leaders of any other European nations.

You know what facts are, right?

[Jefferson23]

31. You don't know why, and you'll remain with your speculations.

As I said, you don't seem to be aware of much outside of Israeli news.

[leftynyc]

35. So Shira was right

There have been NO US Presidents or other elected officials with warrants against them. Just Bibi and other Israelis. You see that as coincidental, others see it as predictably pathetic.

[aranthus]

7. It's aggression, provocation and playing political games with the law.

A court can only address issues within its jurisdiction. The Spanish courts don't legitimately have jurisdiction over this case. Plus, this judge is inserting his court in the middle of a war. It's playing politics with the legal process, which damages the standing of the law.

[Jefferson23]

8. The judge is using a loop hole in the law, how far he can take it, we'll see.

To say it is illegitimate is premature.

[aranthus]

13. There's no loophole in law that gives a court authority outside the jurisdiction of its government

the incident occurred on the high seas, on a Turkish ship. The judge doesn't have jurisdiction because Spain doesn't have jurisdiction. There is no Spanish law that can legitimately give it to him.

[Jefferson23]

15. I don't think you're aware of the history of this court.

Legal loophole means Spain could detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

http://www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/news/on-euro-weekly-news/spain-news-in-english/135246-legal-loophole-means-spain-could-detain-israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu

[aranthus]

16. You are missing the point.

There is no legitimate loophole in Spanish law that covers this, because the entire body of Spanish law does not have jurisdiction. It is the assertion that Spanish law can in anyway intervene in this case that is wrongful.

[Jefferson23]

17. That remains to be seen, and I'm not missing any point. I already told you we'll see

how far they can take it.

Bibi wants it squashed, do you understand if nothing was there to squash,
he would not be asking this of Spain.

[aranthus]

19. We'll see what?

What could possibly occur that would make Spain's assertion of jurisdiction legitimate? Of course Bibi wants it squashed. It's a hostile invasion by Spain of Israel's sovereignty. It's Spain siding with the Palestinians in a war. Does Spain want to be at war with Israel? If so, then it should just carry on. Otherwise, it should squash this fast.

[Jefferson23]

20. He wants it squashed because any legal weight it may carry could be utilized if he

should travel there. That seems to escape you. Only politics, not the law itself
may get Bibi absolved.

[shira]

22. You have it backwards. This is politics, not law. n/t

[Jefferson23]

25. They have it out for war criminals...damn them I tell ya. n/t

[shira]

27. Only alleged war criminals in the Jewish state for some reason. n/t

[Jefferson23]

28. Typical response but wrong again. n/t

[aranthus]

6. Isn't it just one judge?

I can't blame the entire country for one nutball.

[shira]

4. No arrest warrants for the Hamas shills attacking the IDF? Feh. n/t

[Sherman A1]

9. Oh my

This could be interesting.

[6chars]

11. You don't fool me "Sherman"

I know you're really George Takei, with that instantly recognizable resonant voice. Cool that you're here though.

[Sherman A1]

18. I hate to disappoint you

however such is not the case.

[leftynyc]

12. Is this judge an elected official?

If so, I would imagine looking at his constituency would probably explain a lot.

[shira]

23. In 2010, Spain was recognized as the most antisemitic country in Europe (fixed)

There's the context.

The report also provides data derived from opinion polls. For example, according to a poll commissioned by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 58.4% of Spaniards believe that "the Jews are powerful because they control the economy and the mass media." This number reaches 62.2% among university students and 70.5% among those who are "interested in politics." More than 60% of Spanish university students say they do not want Jewish classmates. "These numbers are as surprising as they are worrying: the most anti-Semitic people are supposedly the most educated and well-informed," the report says.

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/2020/spain-anti-semitic

Parts of fascist Europe haven't changed an iota from 75 years ago.

[shira]

33. LoL - just saw it and changed it. n/t

[King_David]

34. Spain is not doing so well at the moment,

Spain economically is the next Greece and the Catalonia region is in the process of separating from Spain -taking Barcelona with it....

Spain desperately needs to change the Channell