Cameron praised for improving UK’s response to Hamas hostage crisis
LIMMUD 2023: Human rights barrister Adam Wagner tells session it was 'very difficult' to work with Foreign Office on behalf of British families of hostages before David Cameron
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A leading human rights barrister representing the British families of hostages kidnapped by Hamas into Gaza has praised foreign secretary David Cameron for forcing the UK government to “step up” its response to the crisis.
At a fascinating session on international law at Limmud 2023, Adam Wagner told how he was, along with a team of other senior lawyers, providing pro-bono advice and support to between four and six British families impacting by the 7 October atrocity and the taking of hostages from southern Israel by the terrorists.
Doughty Street Chambers barrister Wagner conceded that working with the British government had been “a journey” since 7 October, adding that “it was very difficult at the start to engage” with them.
He said: “They were saying lots of nice things, but actually engaging with them to do things was really quite different.”
Wagner revealed that Richard Radcliffe, husband of former Iranian captive Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, had “reached out and offered his help” which included help with working with the Foreign Office.
But the lawyer admitted that the big issue had been about “the responsibility the British government doesn’t take for British citizens abroad and certainly non-British citizens who have families. The Foreign Office is not always great in those situations.”
But Wagner said the appointment of former prime minister Lord Cameron as foreign secretary had prompted a massive change in personnel, which he said was a “positive” move.
“In fact all of the people working at the beginning have now completely changed, and that was less than three months ago, which is pretty confusing,” said Wagner. “But David Cameron, without going into detail, has really stepped up in my opinion.
“You might know I’m not a Conservative supporter, but he really has stepped up, and the Foreign Office has stepped up.”
Wagner, who has been representing hostage families with Mishcon de Reya lawyers Adam Rose and Katy Colton, said this meant that there was more support for British families who were “citizens who need help in a very difficult situations”.
The barrister said that, without going into specific detail, it also meant more was being done in relation to the “direct situation” around the hostages’ continued capture.
Among the hostage families Wagner and the team of lawyers represent are the British relatives of Lianne Sharabi, who was born in Bristol and moved to Israel at the age of 19, and was murdered by Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7th also with her daughter Noiya, aged 16, and her sister Yahel, 13.
Father Eli was abducted alongside his brother Yossi on October 7th. Lianne’s brother Steve Brisley had led calls for the UK government to do more to help secure the release of those still taken hostage.
At the Limmud event Wagner fought back tears as he showed the session as photograph of an empty chair sent to him by Brisley taken at their Christmas lunch, which was meant for Eli, with a Christmas cracker on display with his name on.
Another photograph from the previous year showed Eli and his murdered wife Lianne from a previous Christmas meal.
Wagner had appeared on a panel at Limmud on Monday alongside UK Lawyers for Israel’s Jonathan Turner and Ruvi Ziegler, from Reading University.
Turner had outlined the complexity and robust nature of international law as he attempted to defend Israel from claims of unnecessary loss of civilian lives in Gaza.
Ziegler explained Israel’s and Egypt’s obligations regarding the civilian population in Gaza during the current conflict, at a packed session chaired by Joanne Greenaway.
Cameron was made foreign secretary in November, replacing James Cleverly, who was moved to the home secretary role.
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