Poland’s president offers to shield Netanyahu from ICC arrest warrant for Auschwitz visit

Ahead of event marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Polish President Andrzej Duda calls on the government to ensure Israeli prime minister will be able to attend the ceremony without fear of arrest over ICC warrant.

By World Israel News Staff

Poland’s president called on his country’s government to take steps to enable Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the country during the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

On January 27, the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum will hold a ceremony marking 80 years since the concentration camp was liberated by Allied forces.

In December, Polish media outlets reported that Netanyahu had declined to attend the event, fearing his arrest over the International Criminal Court’s warrant that was issued last year in connection with the Gaza war.

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that Polish President Andrzej Duda penned a letter to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, urging him to take steps to ensure that Netanyahu will not face ICC prosecution if he visits Poland for the event.

Duda said the Polish government should guarantee that the Israeli premier can visit Poland and take part in the ceremony “unhindered,” calling on Tusk’s government to find an “adequate formula” to this end.

Hours after the Bloomberg report was published on Thursday, an aide to Netanyahu told Times of Israel that the Israeli premier currently has no plans to attend the Auschwitz memorial event, adding that the prime minister’s office would consider his attendance should Israel receive an invitation.

“We’ll look into [coming] if we receive an invitation. For now it’s not in the program,” the aide said.

The source added, however, that Poland would also have to “solve” the issue of the ICC arrest warrant before Netanyahu could commit to attending.

“First of all, they’ll have to solve the ICC issue.”