Polish President Andrzej Duda and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talk during the Middle East conference at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, February 13, 2019. (Photo: REUTERS/Kacper Pempel)
President Andrzej Duda of Poland has requested that his government protect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from any attempts to arrest him due to the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. The Polish president aims to ensure that Netanyahu can visit Poland to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, scheduled for Jan. 27.
In November, the ICC issued an arrest warrant alleging war crimes in Gaza against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, creating a circumstance that would likely prevent the prime minister from attending the event. According to Netanyahu’s office, an invitation to the commemoration has yet to be received.
Duda’s request to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk could put the government in a difficult position, as Poland is a signatory to the Rome Statute, an agreement that includes the obligation to honor the rulings of the ICC.
Hamas terrorists along with others, ambushed and killed over 1,200 Israelis in southern communities near the Gaza border, as well as abducting 251 hostages, on Oct.7, 2023.
In retaliation and defense, the Israeli military has responded by eliminating thousands of terrorists in the Gaza Strip. While the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry estimates that more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed, the terror group does not differentiate between civilian deaths and terrorists and the number of casualties has not been verified by objective sources. Israel reports that at least 20,000 of those casualties are members of the Hamas terrorist organization.
Duda is often at odds with Tusk and his administration, however, his letter stated that he believes there can be a reconciliation to allow the Israeli prime minister to attend the historic event honoring the liberation of Auschwitz from the Nazis, while also respecting international law.
Other European Union nations have also struggled with the ICC rulings and how to administer their agreements with the court.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has shown a willingness to disregard the ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, indicating that he intended to invite the Israeli leader for a visit to Budapest this past November.
France has also stated that its top leaders believe Netanyahu could be immune to any orders for arrest from the ICC, as the State of Israel is not a member of the court. Great Britain and Germany have also indicated an unwillingness to comply with the arrest warrant orders.
