By Scheherazade Bloul
Rabat – Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu could risk arrest if he sets foot in Spain after a Spanish judge issued an arrest warrant for him and seven other former and current government officials.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the national court judge Jose de la Mata issued the warrants over the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla attack after the case was reopened.
The case was brought against the group after Israeli security forces attempted to stop a group of six aid ships trying to reach Gaza, which ended in the death of 10 activists, eight of whom were Turkish nationals.
Israel Defence Force boarded the Mavi Marmara, the main civilian vessel and opened fire after they were attacked by the human rights activists killing nine. The tenth activist later died in hospital after sustaining wounds in the debacle.
The raid drew widespread condemnation and resulted in tensions between Turkey and Israel after Turkey recalled its ambassador and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
Other men who face arrest include former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman, current defence minister Moshe Ya’alon, former ministers Ehud Barak, Dan Meridor, minister-without-portfolio Bennie Begin and vice admiral Eliezer Marom, who was in charge of the operation.
An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeperson told The Jerusalem Post: “We consider it to be a provocation. We are working with the Spanish authorities to get it canceled. We hope it will be over soon.”
