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Public Security Minister Avi Dichter. (Dan Keinan)
Last update - 07:32 09/02/2008
Sources: Blair 'shocked' by Dichter fears of arrest in U.K.
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Tony Blair, Britain 

Tony Blair, the Quartet's envoy to the Middle East, expressed surprise on Friday when Public Security Minister Avi Dichter told him he feared he would be arrested should he travel to the United Kingdom, according to sources close to Dichter.

Dichter canceled a trip to Britain in December over concerns he would be arrested due to his involvement in the decision to assassinate the head of Hamas' military wing in July 2002.

Sources close to Dichter quoted Blair, who resigned in June from the British premiership, as telling the Israeli minister during a meeting in Jerusalem that he was "shocked" to hear those concerns, and called them "utter nonsense."
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The sources also said Blair told Dichter that he was under the impression that the matter had been settled while he was still prime minister.

Dichter's concerns pertain to the 2002 bombing of Salah Shehade's house in Gaza, which killed fifteen people, among them his wife and three children. At the time, Dichter was head of the Shin Bet security service. He is the first minister to have to deal with a possible arrest.

The public security minister planned to visit Britain in December, but the Foreign Ministry wrote him that it did not recommend he do so because of a high probability that an extreme leftist organization there would file a complaint, which might lead to an arrest warrant. The ministry also wrote that because Dichter was not an official guest of the British government, he did not have immunity from arrest.

Dichter's bureau said in response that the minister does not intend to go to Britain on any type of official or unofficial visit until the matter of the arrest warrant is resolved.

Dichter was already charged in a civil suit in the United States in 2005 for his part in the decision to assassinate Shehade. But in the U.S., this is not a cause for arrest.

British law, however, states that a private individual can file a complaint against another person for offenses such as war crimes. According to the law, such a complaint might lead to the court issuing an arrest warrant, or a summons to criminal investigation or clarification of the complaint by the police, or even the opening of criminal proceedings.

Dichter is the first minister to face this problem, which has mainly affected senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces. Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz, formerly chief of staff, encountered a similar problem when he traveled to Britain in 2002 before becoming defense minister. Other officers in a similar predicament included former chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon and former GOC Southern Command Doron Almog.

In September 2005, Almog flew to London and found that a British police officer was waiting in the terminal with an arrest warrant. Almog remained on the plane and returned to Israel to avoid an embarrassing incident.

Related articles:
  • Dichter cancels U.K. trip over fears of 'war crimes' arrest
  • PM appoints panel to probe 2002 killing of Hamas chief Shehada
  • PM to U.K.: Enact law prohibiting IDF officers' arrest in Britain
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      1.   Arrest Blair for his involvement in deaths of Iraqi civilians 16:25  |  Absolute Sweden 08/02/08
      2.   Blair Is "Shocked"??!!!!! 16:27  |  Yaakov Sullivan 08/02/08
      3.   One war criminal defending another war crime suspect 16:39  |  Ben Alofs 08/02/08
      4.   Dichter doesn`t wish to clear his name ? 16:49  |  howling-loon 08/02/08
      5.   Don`t come to Britain - Sharia law about to be implemented. 16:54  |  Dan 08/02/08
      6.   Arrest the Criminal 16:56  |  Oliver Masterman 08/02/08
      7.   Welcome to Londonistan, Mr.Dichter.! 17:01  |  Stephen. 08/02/08
      8.   Mr BLAIR: DO YOU GET SHOCKED WHEN WAR CRIMINALS ARE PROSECUTED? 17:06  |  TripleJump 08/02/08
      9.   well said ben 17:08  |  al 08/02/08
      10.   Too bad Blair isn`t shocked by WAR CRIMES 17:11  |  Joe 08/02/08
      11.   Blair himself should be arrested!!! 17:22  |  Jack Ruby 08/02/08
      12.   Alofs wants Blair arrested too 17:27  |  Iz Ray Leigh 08/02/08
      13.   Gaddafi is welcome in the UK though! 17:29  |  Barry 08/02/08
      14.   How many Israeli politicians,and Army personels 17:29  |  Zaki 08/02/08
      15.   #2 #10 Blair is propably shocked because 18:00  |  Kris 08/02/08
      16.   Says something about Blair, doesn`t it? 18:07  |  Murray 08/02/08
      17.   Dr. Alofs got a medal from Rais Arafat 18:07  |  Ron 08/02/08
      18.   #12 Iz Ray Leigh 18:12  |  Ron 08/02/08
      19.   It says a lot about the state of a nation when its leaders 18:15  |  American Hero! 08/02/08
      20.   Sharia law to be implemented in London 18:16  |  Da Cleric 08/02/08
      21.   That very religiostic war criminal Tony Blair 18:20  |  Chanalau, Tova 08/02/08
      22.   Ben Alofs 18:27  |  Alan M 08/02/08
      23.   Geneva Convention 18:45  |  P. J. Casey 08/02/08
      24.   Blair would have to say that......... 19:12  |  Deborah 08/02/08
      25.   they have to be careful! 19:18  |  hollingsworth 08/02/08
      26.   some other group should file a (SERIOUS) legal complaint on any - 19:23  |  ivo 08/02/08
      27.   Crazy People 19:35  |  B. 08/02/08
      28.   It`s good when war criminals are `shocked` 19:41  |  Mufassa 08/02/08
      29.   Avi Dichter 19:49  |  HAT 08/02/08
      30.   Dichter needs treatment for "shock" 19:51  |  Tim 08/02/08
      31.   Advice for Dichter 19:55  |  Clickfool 08/02/08
      32.   That is so shocking 19:58  |  Paul Wood 08/02/08
      33.   Bliar, Bliar, pants on fire..... 20:00  |  Clickfool 08/02/08
      34.   I`m SHOCK to note that Blair is SHOCKED 20:01  |  Adam 08/02/08
      35.   That war criminal smile 20:04  |  Clickfool 08/02/08
      36.   Clickfool - A Question 20:05  |  Phil 08/02/08
      37.   Very happy to know that any WAR CRIMIINAL, 20:09  |  Becky 08/02/08
      38.   Blair may as well enjoy his last days as Quartet envoy! In any 20:11  |  lakshmi 08/02/08
      39.   Support the indictment of "our" war criminals 20:11  |  Yesh Gvul 08/02/08
      40.   #14 Zaki, AMEN to your assessment. 20:20  |  Josh 08/02/08
      41.   Another own goal. 20:23  |  Charles Smyth 08/02/08
      42.   It`s a sting operation 20:29  |  Colin Wright 08/02/08
      43.   #36 Phil 20:30  |  Paul Wood 08/02/08
      44.   If there was a shred of decency in Britain 20:45  |  Mark Lincoln 08/02/08
      45.   One war criminal scratching another war criminal`s back 20:54  |  peacelover 08/02/08
      46.   READ AGAIN PRO-ZIONIST BLAIR`S REACTION; "UTTER NONSENCE" 21:05  |  JACKAL 08/02/08
      47.   For Phil, on thieves in the night # 36 21:20  |  Clickfool 08/02/08
      48.   #44 Mark Lincoln 21:22  |  Matthew Kretzmer 08/02/08
      49.   Dichter should be prosecuted in Israel for 21:22  |  TOMY 08/02/08
      50.   One Second: Didn`t Blair had to sign on the order ? 21:39  |  Hipocrisy Monitor 08/02/08
      51.   #5 - Dan./ Don`t come to Britain 21:51  |  Rozz 08/02/08
      52.   Only in Brittain 22:03  |  Sabra 08/02/08
      53.   Gaza Vs. Ireland 22:26  |  Jehiel Chaleff 08/02/08
      54.   #14 Zaki 22:30  |  Jehiel Chaleff 08/02/08
      55.   Clickfool 22:59  |  Connie 08/02/08
      56.   these are real SHELL-SHOCK times, so why is anyone surprised? - 23:03  |  ivo 08/02/08
      57.   brazil 23:16  |  jorge 08/02/08
      58.   clickfool and dodi 23:22  |  les 08/02/08
      59.   For Clickfool & Others 23:29  |  Phil 08/02/08
      60.   Why would anyone..... 23:53  |  leo 08/02/08
      61.   Dichter comments a polite way of giving Blair an ultimatum... 23:56  |  Dr. L. Brnd 08/02/08
      62.   #44 Say, Blair said he was shocked!! 00:25  |  ballistic 09/02/08
      63.   #59 Say Doc 00:47  |  ballistic 09/02/08
      64.   The same will happen Hamas leaders 01:07  |  Tamir 09/02/08
      65.   Marvelous! Dichter ditches travel plans! 01:44  |  Maureen Ann 09/02/08
      66.   Blair is "shocked?" was he not PM? 01:46  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/08
      67.   sullivan is shocked 01:51  |  peter 09/02/08
      68.   Hey Maureen 02:19  |  ballistic 09/02/08
      69.   arrest muslims in london first 02:53  |  gil leder 09/02/08
      70.   MORONANNIE 03:03  |  akiva (zionist) 09/02/08
      71.   All the anti israel losers are out in full force tonight 03:30 &n