The Polish government announced on Thursday that it would ensure the highest representatives of Israel could freely and safely participate in the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp.
This assurance comes amid questions surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attendance due to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
Polish President Andrzej Duda formally requested that the government guarantee Netanyahu’s ability to attend the event without concern for arrest under the ICC warrant, a senior aide revealed.
The ICC had issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu, his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri, accusing them of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Israel strongly condemned the ICC warrants, asserting its actions in Gaza were acts of self-defense in response to the October 7, 2023, cross-border attack by Hamas.
The Israeli government criticized the court’s decision, maintaining its position on the legitimacy of its military operations.
On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that Duda had written to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, emphasizing the importance of ensuring Netanyahu could attend the January 27 Auschwitz commemoration without restrictions, given the solemn and exceptional nature of the event.
Malgorzata Paprocka, the head of Duda’s office, confirmed the existence of the letter, stating that “in the opinion of the president… every representative of the authorities of [Israel] should have the opportunity to take part in this exceptional event.”
The Polish government adopted a resolution addressing the matter on Thursday, though it made no specific reference to Netanyahu or the ICC warrant.
Tusk stated that, based on communication from the Israeli embassy, Israel would likely be represented by its education minister at the ceremony, framing Duda’s request as a “political demonstration.”
“I confirm, whether it is the prime minister, the president, or the minister – as it is currently declared – of education of Israel, whoever will come to Oswiecim for the celebrations in Auschwitz will be assured of safety and will not be detained,” Tusk assured reporters.
Duda, a right-wing nationalist, has had a strained relationship with Tusk’s centrist, pro-European government since its formation in December 2023.
While Netanyahu, also positioned on the hard right of the political spectrum, has not commented on whether he plans to attend the Auschwitz commemoration, he has participated in similar anniversaries in the past.
Auschwitz, established by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II, saw the deaths of more than 1.1 million people, most of whom were Jewish.
Over 3 million of Poland’s 3.2 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, accounting for nearly half of the Jewish victims of the genocide.