His visit was preceded by clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters outside Downing Street on Wednesday with police breaking up the scuffles as around 500 protesters gathered, waving placards and flags.
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Downing Street named a “two-state solution, based on 1967 borders” as a priority in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding that the government “will reinforce this message to Mr Netanyahu during his visit”.
Israel is “not indifferent to the human tragedy” of refugees from Syria and Africa, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, but it is too small to absorb mass numbers of them.
While the government refused to arrest Netanyahu, it did recognize the “terrible toll” of the “conflict” in Gaza last year and affirmed its commitment to encouraging negotiations.
Britain says visiting heads of state have immunity from legal process and thus cannot be arrested.
“However, the Prime Minister was clear on the U.K.’s recognition of Israel’s right to take proportionate action to defend itself, within the boundaries of international humanitarian law“.
In addition to the demonstration, a petition to arrest Netanyahu for Israel’s war crimes in Gaza has gained a surprising amount of support among British citizens.
Prior to his arrival in the UK, Netanyahu said: “In these talks I explain one thing: Europe needs to support Israel, not pressure Israel and not attack Israel, but support Israel, which is the only true protection Europe has in the Middle East against surging extremist Islam”.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) called the protest at short notice on Wednesday of last week, when Netanyahu’s visit was announced.
“We are very unhappy with the fact that our prime minister is dealing with such a terrorist country that constantly bombs Gaza, West Bank, constantly builds settlements on Palestinian land”, said Sara Elkateep, a supporter of the Palestinian Territories.
British PM David Cameron (L) and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu meet in London in May 2011. Netanyahu will return to Israel on Friday.
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Since Rivlin assumed the presidency in July 2014, he used to “meet with the prime minister for a one-on-one meeting once a month”, but that hasn’t been the case recently, he told Israel’s Army Radio. Most of those not in detention live in poor areas of southern Tel Aviv, where there have been several protests against them.
