Netanyahu during the meeting
Photo: Hagit Klaiman
Ahmadinejad. On his way to the Hague?
Photo: Reuters
Netanyahu in London: Ahmadinejad must be tried in Hague
British and Candian parliament members meet with MK Benjamin Netanyahu, who is leading initiative to put Iranian president on trial for inciting genocide. Netanyahu warned the British: Ahmadinejad has weapons that can reach Israel, but he wants to reach Paris and London'
LONDON- Likud Chairman Member of Knesset Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently visiting London, met with Canadian and British members of parliament in order to harness their support for his initiative that calls to put Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on trial for inciting genocide. Former Israeli ambassador Dore Gold and MK Danny Naveh also participated in the meeting.
Netanyahu and an international organization of leading lawyers are trying to drum up support for an initiative to put Ahmadinejad on trial in The Hague for inciting genocide.
The initiators are also pushing to impose strict economic sanctions on Iran that will hurt the country's citizens. According to them, "This is the only way they will understand that Ahmadinejad is dangerous for them no less than he is for the rest of the world."
Irwin Cotler, a Canadian member of parliament and the former justice minister who also backs the initiative, told Ynet that he and his group of expert lawyers – both Jews and non-Jews – are taking action to push through an indictment against Ahmadinejad. Cotler noted that among those backing the initiative are an Iranian professor and the dean of the University of Toronto's law school.
According to them, it is inconceivable that no country has turned to the Security Council in light of the fact that there has been incitement to genocide."
Netanyahu said, "It can be seen that the pressure applied against Iran is bearing fruit. Forty Iranian members of parliament have already demanded that Ahmadinejad think through any action that hurts Iran."
Netanyahu pointed a finger at the UN and the international community for not taking timely action to prevent genocide, as happened in Rwanda and Bosnia. "In the 30's too no one believed that Hitler was capable of taking action because he didn't explicitly talk about wiping out the Jewish people. In contrast, the Iranian president publicly announces his intentions, and no one is trying to stop him," he said.
"If Israel needs, it will defend itself. But the question is whether the world will protect itself. In the case that Israel is attacked first, those who will be hurt most at the neighboring Arab countries. Therefore, this is an international interest. Today, Ahmadinejad has missiles that can reach Israel, but he wants to reach Paris and London," added Netanyahu.
