In short, owing to the pressing nature of the occasion, the judge would take the liberty of calling the committee together immediately.

An article last July in the German online publication Telepolis quoted outraged Green Party members calling the committee a "toothless talking shop."

Calling the committee "informal", Khan said it was gathering evidence and would complete this task in about four days.

Calling the committee a "historic mistake", Mr Sharon said "no one has the right, no one, to put Israel on trial before the world".

"Ordered that 500 Printed Cards be got from the Printing Office at Cambridge for the purpose of calling the Committee."