The Attorney-General, Baroness Scotland, who is currently visiting Israel, has refused to comment on individual arrest warrants issued against Israeli leaders in Britain.

IDF officers have been forced to cancel a trip to Britain after the British government failed to guarantee that arrest warrants would not be issued against them, it emerged today.

This followed an attempt to arrest Tzipi Livni, leader of Israel’s Kadima party, who cancelled a trip to the UK after a warrant was issued.

Speaking at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Baroness Scotland said: “When first considering this lecture last spring I little realised the prospect of its having such added topicality in light of recent events, as regards private applications for arrest warrants.

“I shall not tonight be talking about the rights and wrongs of any individual case.

“But you will know that the Foreign Secretary has stated clearly that the government is looking urgently at ways in which the UK system might be changed to avoid this situation arising again, and is determined that Israel's leaders should always be able to travel freely to the UK”.

Earlier today the Attorney General met Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who was reportedly livid at the IDF cancellation.