What’s New
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly planning to forgo attending next month’s commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in Poland, citing concerns over his potential arrest.
Israeli authorities haven’t reached out to their Polish counterparts about Netanyahu’s participation, according to the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
Officials in Warsaw believe the decision is linked to Poland’s commitment to honor the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict.
Newsweek has contacted Netanyahu’s office and Poland’s foreign ministry, via email, for comment.
STOYAN NENOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Why Does It Matter
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, along with his former defense minister and several Hamas officials, in November.
These warrants make Netanyahu, and others, internationally wanted suspects, likely deepening their diplomatic isolation.
The practical influence of the warrants may be limited, as Israel and its key ally, the United States, are not parties to the Rome statute, but Poland is.
What to Know
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog will also not attend the event, but Education Minister Yoav Kisch may be there, Rzeczpospolita reported.
Multiple heads of state and Holocaust survivors are expected to attend, including French President Emmanuel Macron, King Felipe VI of Spain, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The main event is set to take place on January 27 next year at Auschwitz, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What People are Saying
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Bartoszewski, who is organizing the ceremony, told Rzeczpospolita Poland is “committed to respecting” the ICC’s ruling.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan called on countries to “live up to their commitment to the Rome Statute.”
Netanyahu has said Israel plans to appeal the ICC’s ruling, adding: “The State of Israel denies the authority of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and the legitimacy of the arrest warrants.”
He also called it a “dark day in the history of humanity,” adding: “It’s an antisemitic step that has one goal – to deter me, to deter us from having our natural right to defend ourselves against enemies who try to destroy us.”
What’s Next
Israel filed two appeals against the ICC’s ruling last Friday, arguing that there were procedural deficiencies and that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Israelis.
The Israeli military issued an evacuation order in central Gaza on Wednesday ahead of a planned offensive, while Israel and Hamas appeared to be edging closer to a ceasefire in the ongoing 14-month conflict.
But Israel’s military plans for a major offensive in Gaza may reshape the course of the conflict, depending on the outcome of talks and possible further hostilities.
