Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Photo: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90
The Polish government has announced security guarantees for Israeli officials planning to participate in events marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The announcement comes amid tensions over an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), AFP reports .
Tusk: “All participants will have security guarantees”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that regardless of the status or position of the Israeli representatives, Poland would ensure their safety during the events.
“Whoever it is – the prime minister, the president or the education minister – they will have guarantees of safe access and participation,” Tusk stressed.
Netanyahu, who is accused by the ICC of crimes against humanity for his actions during the Gaza conflict, is unlikely to visit Poland in person. Israel said that the country will be represented by the Minister of Education.
The dispute between Tusk and Duda
Polish President Andrzej Duda sent a letter to Tusk urging him to ensure that Netanyahu could attend the events if he decided to come. Tusk criticised the move, calling it a “political demonstration”.
The tension between the conservative president and the liberal prime minister is indicative of the complex relations within the Polish leadership.
The ICC and Auschwitz
The ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu was issued in November 2023 as a result of Israel’s military operations in Gaza following Hamas attacks. Poland, as a party to the Rome Statute, is formally obliged to comply with the court’s decision. At the same time, the government stressed that the commemorative events in Auschwitz will not become an arena for international conflicts.
On 27 January, delegations from all over the world will gather at Auschwitz, a symbol of the Holocaust, where more than a million Jews and tens of thousands of other nationalities were murdered during the Nazi occupation.
This diplomatic incident once again puts the issues of international law, political alliances, and the memory of the Holocaust victims on the agenda. Time will tell whether Poland will be able to balance its role as a guarantor of historical memory and fulfilment of international obligations.
