Netanyahu declines meeting with visiting Lammy

Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly declined a  meeting with David Lammy during his visit to the region last week after the UK’s decision not to object to the ICC prosecutor’s efforts to obtain an arrest warrant for the Israeli PM.

The British foreign secretary and his French counterpart were in Israel and the West Bank on Friday as part of an international push to avert an Iranian strike on the Jewish state and all out war. The visit coincided with the second day of talks on a possible ceasefire and hostage deal in Doha.

But following reports that he would meet both the PM and foreign minister Yisrael Katz, only the latter talks went ahead. After that and the the Palestinian Authority premier, Lammy tweeted: “There can be no delays or excuses. All parties must engage  seriously in negotiations on a deal. This is a vital opportunity to secure the release of hostages and an immediate surge in aid into Gaza.”

Lammy had met Netanyahu on his first visit to the region as foreign secretary last month. Although a meeting between the Israeli PM and a visiting foreign secretary isn’t automatic, Netanyahu also made a habit of holding talks with David Cameron during his visits as foreign secretary following the Hamas attacks,