Poland Allows Netanyahu to Visit Auschwitz
The Israeli Prime Minister will not face arrest if he participates in a commemoration ceremony at the notorious death camp, as stated by Warsaw. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The Polish government has decided to permit Benjamin Netanyahu to attend a commemoration ceremony at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp scheduled for later this month, even though there exists an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for the arrest of the Israeli prime minister.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, in November, leveling accusations against both officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
As a signatory of the Rome Statute, Poland is obligated to arrest both figures if they enter the country. Last month, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski indicated that the warrant would be enforced should Netanyahu participate in the ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the camp's liberation.
In a development on Thursday, Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed that he had asked Tusk to facilitate Netanyahu's attendance at the ceremony if he chose to come.
“Every person from Israel, every official from that country, should be able to take part in this unique event,” Duda’s aide Malgorzata Paprocka stated on X.
By Thursday evening, Tusk’s office confirmed that Netanyahu would not face arrest if he went to Auschwitz.
“The Polish government treats the safe participation of the leaders of Israel in the commemorations on January 27, 2025, as part of paying tribute to the Jewish nation, millions of whose daughters and sons became victims of the Holocaust carried out by the Third Reich,” the announcement read.
The ICC relies on the cooperation of Rome Treaty signatories for the enforcement of its warrants, as it lacks the power to act independently. Notably, Israel, alongside the US, Russia, and China, does not recognize the Hague-based court.
It remains uncertain whether Netanyahu will attend the ceremony. “We’ll look into [coming] if we receive an invitation. For now, it’s not in the program,” a senior aide to the Israeli PM told the Times of Israel on Thursday. “First of all, they’ll have to solve the ICC issue,” the official remarked.
Auschwitz-Birkenau constituted a Nazi concentration and extermination camp located in occupied Poland during World War II. From 1940 until its liberation by the Red Army in 1945, approximately 1.1 million Jews, Poles, Gypsies, and Soviet prisoners of war lost their lives at the Auschwitz complex.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, in November, leveling accusations against both officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
As a signatory of the Rome Statute, Poland is obligated to arrest both figures if they enter the country. Last month, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski indicated that the warrant would be enforced should Netanyahu participate in the ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the camp's liberation.
In a development on Thursday, Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed that he had asked Tusk to facilitate Netanyahu's attendance at the ceremony if he chose to come.
“Every person from Israel, every official from that country, should be able to take part in this unique event,” Duda’s aide Malgorzata Paprocka stated on X.
By Thursday evening, Tusk’s office confirmed that Netanyahu would not face arrest if he went to Auschwitz.
“The Polish government treats the safe participation of the leaders of Israel in the commemorations on January 27, 2025, as part of paying tribute to the Jewish nation, millions of whose daughters and sons became victims of the Holocaust carried out by the Third Reich,” the announcement read.
The ICC relies on the cooperation of Rome Treaty signatories for the enforcement of its warrants, as it lacks the power to act independently. Notably, Israel, alongside the US, Russia, and China, does not recognize the Hague-based court.
It remains uncertain whether Netanyahu will attend the ceremony. “We’ll look into [coming] if we receive an invitation. For now, it’s not in the program,” a senior aide to the Israeli PM told the Times of Israel on Thursday. “First of all, they’ll have to solve the ICC issue,” the official remarked.
Auschwitz-Birkenau constituted a Nazi concentration and extermination camp located in occupied Poland during World War II. From 1940 until its liberation by the Red Army in 1945, approximately 1.1 million Jews, Poles, Gypsies, and Soviet prisoners of war lost their lives at the Auschwitz complex.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
