IDF Major General Detained in London

serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy—Titus 3:3

Never underestimate the value of simple means in international relations. The picture shows Sara Netanyahu attending Margaret Thatcher's funeral in London, on April 17, 2013. Her smile beats the one of Buddha after achieving Nirvana. She was not being disrespectful to Thatcher; her bliss was due to the British fascinator hat.

Hedonist Israelis cannot live without their favorite shopping center. After Sara's fascinating discovery of British fashion, Israeli media were stunned to discover how much Sara's bliss had cost. On May 13, 2013, it was disclosed that the State of Israel had invested $127,000 in four walls and a door installed around a double bed, as well as 22 business class seats fitted on a plane chartered from El Al, Israel's national airline. The aircraft cost about $300,000 to use, before the custom fittings, designed for a flight of about five-and-a-half hours. Yet, Sara needed a powerful nap before boasting the ridiculous garment.

"Bibi is king, and in a monarchy, when the king and queen fly, price is no object," said political commentator Sima Kadmon.

Sharon's Fascinator

Brigadier General Avi Benayahu IDF Spokesperson August 2007—April 2011 James Bond

Unlike Netanyahu's third lady, Ariel Sharon couldn't buy a fascinator in Harrods for many years. Only on February 15, 2002, the International Court of Justice halted a Belgian attempt to try Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians during the Sabra and Shatila Massacre in Lebanon in 1982, when he was Israel's Minister of Defense. It ruled that serving ministers are protected from prosecution. Before that, Sharon had avoided visiting mainland Europe, specially the Belgian capital Brussels, due to a justified fear of being arrested and tried. No less heart-breaking is the story of former IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Avi Benayahu. In an interview given in January 2011 to British magazine Defense News, he revealed that in 2010 he had flown to Britain using a pseudonym so as to avoid getting arrested and investigated for war crimes. "In my last visit to London, I had to assume a false name because well-funded anti-Israel activists are exploiting universal jurisdiction powers to wage lawfare against us," he said while refusing to be photographed with his fascinator.

Former IDF Southern Command Chief Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog escaped arrest in 2005 after being indicted for war crimes in a British court. The British judge said the warrant was annulled in light of the fact that Almog had left the country and is therefore "no longer under the court's jurisdiction." Apparently, his fascinator hat had fooled the British immigration officers.

In 2006, current Head of the Intelligence Corps Major General Aviv Kochavi had to cancel his studies in the Kingdom following the recommendation of IDF legal advisors. He would have been arrested upon arrival.

In December 2009, a British court issued an arrest warrant against Israel's opposition leader Tzipi Livni⁺ for her involvement in war crimes committed during Operation Cast Lead while serving as Foreign Affairs Minister. The warrant was cancelled when it was found that Livni was not even in Britain at the time. She had been warned and didn't take the flight.

In 2009 former military chief Moshe Yaalon—current Minister of Defense—called off a visit to Britain because of similar concerns.

In 2010, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor canceled a scheduled trip to the UK for fear he would be arrested upon his arrival. In 2011, MK Amir Peretz escaped an arrest warrant issued for him in London on suspicion of committing war crimes during the Lebanon War. Israel's Justice and Foreign ministries were aware of the arrest warrant ahead of time, and advised Peretz, who was in New York, to cancel his trip to the UK.

Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak faced a similar fate, but the British court ruled that as a sitting minister (he was Minister of Defense at the time) he enjoyed diplomatic immunity. He cannot defend himself after a very clear indictment issued by the United Nations on Operation Cast Lead.

On November 6, 2012, Turkey announced that a court in Istanbul will try in absentia ("in the absence," a trial at which the defendant is not physically present) four ex-Israeli military commanders over the IDF Freedom Flotilla raid in 2010.⁺⁺ The Mavi Marmara was trying to break the blockade of Gaza and bring humanitarian aid to the refugees there. Nine Turkish activists were killed by Israeli naval commandos (Shayetet 13), who had boarded the ship. Israel had in the past conducted no less questionable legal processes; thus it cannot oppose the Turkish decision on procedural grounds. One of the officers in the trial is Major General^* Eliezer "Chiney" Marom, who commanded the Navy during the Israeli attack.

Eliezer "Chiney" Marom, Chief of Staff Gantz, and Ram Rothberg During Navy Commander Exchange Ceremony, October 10, 2011 Related: Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem sells the City Did you know? Turkey to Continue Nuremberg Trials against Israel

Interlude: Israel Bends Britain

The Israeli Administration decided to put an end to the continuous harassment it suffered from its main provider of fascinators. In September 2011, following massive Zionist pressure, the UK decided to amend The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act, a law that had not been changed since WWII. Despite Israel's mighty lobbying, the amendment barely passed with 223 votes in favor and 222 against.

The amendment bars detaining people when there is no realistic chance of their prosecution. The meaning is simple, Israeli officials were given a formal exemption by the Queen; they can visit Harrods and buy pretty hats even if the violate international laws, commit war crimes, or even if they commit crimes against humanity. Fascinators rule!

Buddha's Smile

The amendment cannot stop Palestinians living in the UK from placing charges against Israeli officials visiting the Kingdom by the Sea.

The amendment cannot stop the police from starting an investigation. Under the corrected law, the Director of Public Prosecutions must approve the detention of the official, but that's all.

The British public and police can still make clear that the guest is unwelcome and create an embarrassing headline for him. That is what happened today, October 14, 2013, to General Marom. Upon arrival at London's Heathrow Airport, he was detained for questioning on his role during Operation Cast Lead and the raid on the Gaza's Freedom Flotilla attack. He used his allotted phone call to contact Israel's Ministry of Justice and shortly afterwards was released.

London Ministores, Tel Aviv The Kingdom by the Sea: A Journey Around the Coast of Great Britain

Sara Netanyahu's next fascinator will probably be bought in Tel Aviv's London Ministores, in the shop just above McDonald's. Hearing this, Buddha surpassed Sara's smile.

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⁺ Out of nowhere, Tsipi Livni was elected as a member of the Knesset for the Likud party, on the general elections held on May 17, 1999. Her sudden appearance there was enough to prove her credentials to the Israeli public, any formal mention that she was Mossad would have been superfluous; yet, reliable rumors appeared on the newspapers claiming she had been a low-rank Mossad agent.
In Israeli jargon, the statement was clear. She had not been an officer like Victor Ostrovsky and probably held a position similar to the one of "Cindy," the code name for Mossad agent Cheryl Bentov. The last, apparently posing as a bar-girl, had a key-role in the kidnapping of Mordechai Vanunu by Israel in 1986.
Bar-girl or not, in the Israeli political life, a Mossad agent has the right (or maybe the information needed to blackmail others) to bypass the regular political path and to land as a prince at the parliament, right next to the top.

⁺⁺ See Turkey to Continue Nuremberg Trials against Israel

^* IDF ranks do not match those of other armies. His rank is sometimes translated as "vice-admiral" or "rear-admiral," but reality is different. The IDF does not have separate ranks for its different arms. Navy, Air, and Ground arms use the same name and shape of ranks; only their colors are different. The commander of an arm has the rank of "aluf," which is parallel to a major general.

Roi Trov