Israel's Barak says Britain arrest bid 'absurd'

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak branded as "absurd" a bid to have him arrested as he attended the governing Labour party's annual conference in Britain.

Pro-Palestinian activists lodged an application in a London court for the arrest warrant over Israel's offensive in Gaza in 2008, which left more than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead.

The request was denied by a judge after a hearing on the grounds of diplomatic immunity for Barak, according to lawyers who filed the application on Tuesday.

Barak said Israeli officials should be able to move freely between countries without fearing arrest for trying to protect their own people.

"The decision today is just the first step. Israel has to see to it that Israeli officials and high ranking officers can move freely in the world," Barak said in a brief statement to reporters in Brighton.

"We do not want to let the terrorists win."

"It is absurd that those who try to protect the citizens have to protect themselves. The world should not give a prize to the terrorists," he said.

Barak was earlier greeted at the conference by Prime Minister Gordon Brown with a handshake and a hug, according to the Israeli delegation.

The minister also met with Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth and Foreign Secretary David Miliband and discussed Iran and the UN report into Israel's assault on Gaza, the delegation said.

The meeting came as the judge who wrote the report earlier Tuesday presented it to the UN Human Rights Council, and accused both Israel and the Palestinians of committing "war crimes" during the conflict.

Barak later attended a fringe meeting at the Labour conference in Brighton, on England's south coast, organised by the Friends of Israel group.

A group of nine Labour lawmakers demonstrated against his presence, while pro-Palestinian protesters also rallied on the Brighton seafront.

"The Friends of Israel should not allow their event to be used in this way as a platform for a man who has been accused of war crimes," said lawmaker Martin Linton, the chairman of the Labour Friends of Palestine group.

About 100 protesters staged a peaceful rally on the seafront opposite the hotel where the event was held, amid a low-key police presence.

Holding banners saying "Wanted Ehud Barak 1,400 dead" and "Ehud Barak War Criminal," the mainly British crowd chanted "shame on you."

"It is a shame that Britain and the Labour government which has a history of being close to the working class should have invited such a controversial person here," said Khalidi Bushra, a Palestinian who is studying in Brighton.

In London, lawyers lodged an application at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court for the arrest warrant to be issued for Barak, on grounds of war crimes in connection with the Gaza offensive.

"We are disappointed that the application for an arrest warrant was denied by the judge today," lawyer Tayab Ali told AFP.

"He (Barak) was effectively able to hide behind the diplomatic immunity he has been given because of his senior position in the Israeli government."

Miliband earlier said a meeting scheduled Wednesday with Barak would go ahead "as planned" regardless of the threatened court action.

Barak was seen in the main auditorium shortly before the start of Brown's keynote address to the conference -- at one point taking pictures with a small camera.