The Polish government passed a resolution ensuring the free and safe participation of Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and other officials, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the ongoing war in Gaza. Under the warrant, ICC member states, including Poland, are obliged to arrest wanted individuals as soon as they enter the territory of a signatory country.
The decision by the government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk contradicts its obligations to the court. The administration announced it would allow Israeli leaders safe passage to the event, as it was a tribute to the millions of Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
The decision may represent a concession to President Andrzej Duda, who has publicly called for safe passage for Israeli leaders, sending a formal letter of request to Tusk. The two are currently embroiled in a public spat which threatens to overshadow Poland’s presidency at the EU Council.
However, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had not received an invitation. Meanwhile, Polish Foreign Ministry said it had not received any information that he would attend the event. The ministry added that any information that Netanyahu might be arrested upon entering Poland was fake news.
On 27 January, the leaders are due to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. On this day, in 1945, it was liberated by Soviet troops. Today, the site of the camp is a memorial to the more than one million people who perished there during the World War II.
