Israeli ex FM cancels Brussels trip over “war crimes” summons

Israel’s former foreign minister Tzipi Livni has cancelled a planned visit to Belgium over fears she may be arrested upon arrival over war crime allegations, according to Israeli media reports on Monday.
Livni, who served as foreign minister between 2006 - 2009 under former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, was due to arrive in the Belgian capital on Monday to unofficially attend a conference on tackling anti-Semitism in Europe and advancing the continent’s relations with the Jewish state.
The visit was cancelled for the fear of possible detainment over her role in the 2008-2009 Gaza War, which a UN fact finding mission claimed amounted to 'collective punishment' of Palestinians.
 Spokesman for the event said the cancellation was for "personal reasons" but local newspaper Le Soir said prosecutors had been hoping to question Livni over allegations of war crimes in the 2008-9 Israeli war in Gaza, when she was foreign minister.
"We wanted to take advantage of her visit to try to advance the investigation," a spokesman for Belgium's federal prosecutor Thierry Werts told AFP.
Livni's spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment from AFP, but the foreign ministry reacted strongly.
"We reject this cynical abuse of the Belgian legal system to advance a political agenda," ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said.
 Prominent politician faced possible detainment over her role in the 2008-2009 Gaza War, which a UN fact finding mission claimed amounted to 'collective punishment' of Palestinians
Israel denounced Friday the "cynical exploitation" of Belgium's judicial system, after Belgian prosecutors confirmed they wanted to question a former Israeli minister over war crimes allegations.
Tzipi Livni was expected to visit Brussels to meet Jewish leaders in the city but "cancelled three or four days before," a spokesman for the event said.
He said the cancellation was for "personal reasons" but local newspaper Le Soir said prosecutors had been hoping to question Livni over allegations of war crimes in the 2008-9 Israeli war in Gaza, when she was foreign minister.
He labelled the attempt to question Livni "another cheap publicity stunt with no legal basis that was organised and executed by an anti-Israeli organisation."
Livni, one of Israel's most influential women, is named along with other political and military leaders in a complaint filed in June 2010 over alleged crimes committed during Operation Cast Lead.
More than 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, died during the Israeli offensive between December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009.
Thirteen Israelis, including ten soldiers, also died.
Israel said the conflict was a justified response to hundreds of rockets fired into the Jewish state.
Belgian justice has the right to detain a suspect in its territory on crimes related to international law as one of the victims had Belgian citizenship.
The Belgian federal prosecutor's office believes Livni, now a member of parliament and opposition leader, is not protected by immunity.
The Belgian-Palestinian Association supporting the complaint said in a statement it wanted to hold Livni responsible for her role in the war, as well as Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak, then prime minister and minister of defence.
In December 2009 Livni cancelled a visit to London after being informed that she was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by a UK court over her role in the same war.