The visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the UK has sparked widespread controversy and protests, with human rights groups and lawmakers calling for his arrest over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Herzog’s trip, which includes a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a speech at Chatham House, has been met with strong opposition from various quarters.

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has written to Scotland Yard, demanding that Herzog be investigated upon his arrival in the UK on suspicion of bearing criminal liability for alleged war crimes.

“Herzog is suspected of bearing criminal liability for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture, and actions that constitute plausible genocide,” the group said.

Friends of Al-Aqsa, a UK-based NGO, has also applied to the director of public prosecutions and attorney general to launch criminal proceedings against Herzog on charges of encouraging indiscriminate attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.

Herzog’s comments in October 2023, where he stated that the entire Palestinian nation is responsible for the actions of Hamas, have drawn sharp criticism.

“The entire [Palestinian] nation out there… is responsible. It is not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved,” he said. Two months later, he signed an artillery shell destined for Gaza.

Sacha Deshmukh, head of Amnesty International UK, said Herzog’s position is largely ceremonial, but “he has chosen to use it to defend collective punishment”.

“This visit is a test of leadership and principle: polite handshakes and warm words will demonstrate neither. The UK will be judged on whether it took strong action against genocide, or helped to whitewash it.”

The visit has also sparked protests across the UK, with demonstrators holding up signs and Palestinian flags, condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza.

More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 2023. Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called for Herzog’s arrest, stating that welcoming a potential war criminal to the UK is another demonstration of how the Labour government is implicated in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Dozens of lawmakers, including prominent Labour politician Diane Abbott and independent MP Jeremy Corbyn, signed a letter to Starmer, expressing concerns over Herzog’s visit.

The letter said the visit “risks suggesting the UK is indifferent to its international legal responsibilities”.

Zarah Sultana, who also signed the letter, addressed protesters in London, saying Herzog has “dehumanised an entire population and openly called for their extermination”. She added that the visit shows “this Labour government is complicit, is enabling genocide”.

As tensions persist, the UK government faces mounting pressure to take a strong stance against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

The outcome of Herzog’s visit and the UK’s response to the protests will likely have significant implications for the country’s foreign policy and its commitment to upholding international law.