Israel

Richard Burden
To ask the Solicitor-General what meetings the Attorney-General had during her visit to Israel in January 2010 at which the subject of the operation of the law of universal jurisdiction in the UK in relation to the possibility of Israeli officials, politicians or military personnel being arrested if they travel to the UK was discussed.

The Solicitor-General
[holding answer 11 January 2010]: The matter was raised with the Attorney-General in meetings she had with Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and Minister of Justice Yaacov Ne'eman on 5 January. In addition the issue was discussed at a meeting the Attorney had in Ramallah on 6 January with the Independent Commission on Human Rights and representatives from the Addameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association.

Richard Burden
To ask the Solicitor-General if she will place in the Library a copy of the speech by the Attorney General to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in January 2010 on the operation of the law of universal jurisdiction in the UK in relation to the possibility of Israeli officials, politicians or military personnel being arrested if they travel to the UK.

The Solicitor-General
[holding answer 11 January 2009]: A copy of the Attorney General's Lionel Cohen Lecture at Hebrew university is available on the website of the British Embassy in Israel:

http://ukinisrael.fco.gov.uk/en/

and I will arrange for a copy to be deposited in the Library of the House.

Mr. Marshall-Andrews
To ask the Solicitor-General what (a) groups and (b) individuals the Attorney General met on her visit to Israel on 5 January 2010.

The Solicitor-General
On 5 January 2010 the Attorney General met with Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and Minister of Justice Yaacov Ne'eman with accompanying officials. She also met with the President of the Supreme Court, Dorit Beinish and had an informal lunch with other Justices of the Supreme Court. Additionally she met with the Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson, President of Hebrew university and delivered a lecture to an audience of students, faculty members and media at the university. The following day she had further meetings in Ramallah with the Palestinian Minister of Justice AH Khashan and Attorney General Ahmad Al-Mughani, Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Council Dr Jallad, as well as representatives from the Independent Commission for Human Rights and representatives from Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.

Mr. Marshall-Andrews
To ask the Solicitor-General whether the Attorney General's recent visit to Israel was arranged before 12 December 2009.

The Solicitor-General
Yes. The Attorney General was fulfilling a commitment to deliver the Lionel Cohen Lecture for 2009 at Hebrew university. This lecture was originally scheduled for June 2009, but was rearranged following the postponement of a visit at that time.