Ex-Israel PM cancels Swiss trip, fearing arrest for war crimes
Occupied Jerusalem (QNN)- Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert canceled a trip to Switzerland after he was warned that he would be arrested for war crimes he committed against Palestinians.
Olmert had been scheduled to travel to Switzerland on Monday, but was warned over the weekend by Israeli military and legal experts that he would be detained for questioning upon landing, Israel’s Channel 12 first reported Wednesday evening.
According to the report, Olmert at first said he would still travel to Switzerland, but backed down after the officials said his detention would cause great embarrassment to “Israel”.
Lawsuits have been filed against Olmert over the war he waged against Gaza between 2008 and 2009, when he was Prime Minister. more than 1,300 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, including more than 300 children, and thousands were injured in the operation, called “Cast Lead”.
It’s not the first time a former Israeli leader has faced questioning or the threat of arrest in Europe. In 2016, British police summoned Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni for questioning about war crimes in Gaza.
