Via Times of Israel:

A petition on the British Parliament’s website urging the UK to arrest Netanyahu for “war crimes” has garnered over 84,000 signatures, but was dismissed by the government and described by a senior Tory MP as “completely absurd.”

“Under UK and international law, visiting heads of foreign governments, such as Prime Minister Netanyahu, have immunity from legal process, and cannot be arrested or detained,” the British government said in a formal response.

“The UK is a close friend of Israel and we enjoy an excellent bilateral relationship, built on decades of cooperation between our two countries across a range of fields. Our priority for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains the achievement of a two-state solution, based on 1967 borders,” the statement also noted. “We continue to believe that negotiations will be necessary in order to achieve this, and that both parties need to focus on steps that are conducive to peace. The UK Government will reinforce this message to Mr Netanyahu during his visit.”

“I welcome the Government’s unambiguous response which reiterates its support for Israel’s right to self-defense and condemnation of Hamas’s terrorist tactics,” former cabinet minister Eric Pickles told The Telegraph newspaper.

“The petition will have no impact upon the UK-Israel relationship which is stronger than ever and prime minister Netanyahu’s forthcoming visit will enhance it further,” he added.