UK Rejects Calls to Arrest Israeli President Herzog Amid War Crimes Allegations
In the UK this past week, a major controversy unfolded around the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog. On September 10, 2025, the Hind Rajab Foundation, alongside the European Legal Support Centre and the Stop the War Coalition, filed a criminal complaint seeking Herzog’s arrest. They argued that he bore direct responsibility for grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions — including starvation policies, the destruction of Gaza, and actions amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
These groups submitted detailed evidence, citing Herzog’s own public statements that dismissed civilian protections, denied famine in Gaza despite UN reports, and coincided with military operations in Nahal Oz and Gaza. Yet, despite these claims, the Metropolitan Police did not take action. By the evening, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), writing on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions, rejected the complaint and a separate request for an arrest warrant. Their reason: “insufficient admissible evidence.”
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That decision has been strongly condemned. The Hind Rajab Foundation and its partners argue that the CPS’s conclusion is both flawed and legally unsustainable. They point out that Herzog’s own words are admissible evidence, and that the UK, under the Geneva Conventions, has a duty to investigate war crimes when suspects are present on its territory. Critics also note that the CPS failed to follow its own guidance, which requires officials to provide directions on how evidence might be made admissible if rejected at first instance. No such directions were given in this case.
The reaction has been sharp. Dyab Abou Jahjah of the Hind Rajab Foundation declared that history would not absolve the British authorities for failing to act, accusing them of abandoning Palestinian victims of genocide and starvation. Lindsey German of Stop the War Coalition called it “astonishing” that Herzog had been welcomed in Downing Street instead of being arrested, adding that millions of people in Britain are horrified by Israel’s actions. Legal experts at the European Legal Support Centre and the Public Interest Law Centre accused UK institutions of enabling impunity and undermining international law.
Meanwhile, Herzog’s visit was not only met with legal complaints but also with street protests. Demonstrators gathered outside Downing Street and Chatham House, chanting “lock him up” and holding signs demanding his arrest. For many, his presence in London was viewed as a stark reminder of Britain’s failure to uphold accountability.
Inside Downing Street, Herzog and Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly had a tense meeting. Starmer condemned Israel’s recent strike in Doha as a violation of sovereignty, pressed Herzog on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and urged that more aid be allowed in. Herzog, in turn, denied famine, blamed Hamas for civilian deaths, and rejected accusations of genocide. He characterized the meeting as “tough,” but insisted it was the kind of exchange allies can have.
The outcome leaves a troubling picture: while protesters demanded justice and lawyers presented evidence, the UK’s legal authorities refused to act. For human rights groups, this signals not just a missed opportunity but a dangerous precedent — one where political considerations outweigh international obligations. As the Hind Rajab Foundation and its allies press forward, the question remains whether Britain will eventually meet its duty under international law, or continue to shield powerful figures from accountability.
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