Wed Sep 10 12:31:31 UTC 2025: **News Article:**

**Starmer Faces Backlash Over Meeting with Israeli President Herzog Amid War Crime Accusations**

**London, UK** – Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting criticism and planned protests over his scheduled meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog this week. Herzog’s visit to the UK, which began Tuesday, has sparked outrage due to Israel’s recent military actions in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Qatar, with critics accusing him of potential war crimes.

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has called for Herzog’s arrest and investigation upon his arrival, citing allegations of “criminal liability for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture, and actions that constitute plausible genocide.”

Protests are expected throughout the week, with demonstrators planning to disrupt Herzog’s address at the Chatham House think tank. Friends of Al-Aqsa, a UK-based NGO, has applied to the director of public prosecutions and attorney general to launch criminal proceedings against Herzog, accusing him of encouraging indiscriminate attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.

The controversy stems from Herzog’s statements made in October 2023 following the Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel, where he stated that the “entire [Palestinian] nation” was responsible for the attacks. Critics also point to his signing of an artillery shell destined for Gaza two months later.

Amnesty International UK has condemned Herzog’s visit, arguing that it will be judged on whether it took strong action against genocide, or helped to whitewash it. Green Party leader Zack Polanski has gone further, calling for Herzog’s arrest, alleging that welcoming him to the UK implicates the Labour government in the “ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

Dozens of lawmakers, including Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn, have signed a letter to Starmer expressing concern that the visit “risks suggesting the UK is indifferent to its international legal responsibilities.” Zarah Sultana accused Herzog of dehumanizing an entire population and openly calling for their extermination.”

The visit highlights the stark division in public opinion regarding Israel’s actions, with polls indicating that a majority of Britons believe Israel’s actions in Gaza are unjustified. The Prime Minister now faces mounting pressure to address the concerns raised and ensure that international law is upheld.

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