Israel has withdrawn its ambassador to Belgium after a landmark ruling by a Brussels court yesterday paved the way for the prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for war crimes.
An Israeli official called the ruling - which can only take effect after Mr Sharon leaves office, as "scandalous".
The decision by the Cour de Cassation, the top appeal court, opens the way for several serving or ex-leaders around the world to be tried under a unique Belgian law that allows for war crimes prosecutions irrespective of where the offences took place.
The court's decision also allowed for a war crimes trial of Israeli General Amos Yaron, who oversaw the Beirut sector in 1982.
The court overturned a ruling made in June 2002 by a lower court that said Belgium's "universal competence" law only applies if the alleged perpetrator is in Belgium.
The lower court's ruling had halted one of the most high-profile suits brought under the law - one filed against Mr Sharon by 23 Palestinian survivors of refugee camp massacres in Lebanon in 1982.
The massacre, in which up to 2,000 Palestinian refugees were slaughtered in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut, was carried out by an Israeli-allied Christian militia during Israel's war against Lebanon.
An Israeli tribunal in 1983 found Mr Sharon, who was defence minister at the time, to be indirectly responsible for the carnage; forcing his resignation.
The Israeli ambassador to Belgium Yehudi Kenar has been "called to Jerusalem for consultations", a foreign ministry spokesman said, adding that the Belgian ambassador to Israel, Mr Wilfred Geens, had been ordered to appear at the foreign ministry today.
AFP