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Berlin — President Andrzej Duda of Poland has formally requested a special exemption to allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attend the upcoming events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. This request aims to prevent potential arrest stemming from an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. The memorial service is set to take place on January 27, 2025, marking eight decades since Allied forces liberated the camp from Nazi control.
Duda’s appeal was communicated in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, emphasizing the importance of including Israeli representatives, especially leaders, in this significant observance without any legal impediments. Despite this, Netanyahu has yet to confirm his attendance, a decision he has made multiple times in the past, as stated by Malgorzata Paprocka, the head of Duda’s office.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November against Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza. The Israeli government has denied these charges, arguing that its military actions are justified as self-defense against Hamas.
Poland is obligated to detain any individual against whom the ICC has issued a warrant as a signatory to the United Nations treaty that established the court. Nonetheless, Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister, has downplayed concerns regarding Netanyahu’s potential arrest, suggesting he is unlikely to travel to Europe.
As of now, there have been no official statements from either the Tusk administration or the Israeli government regarding this situation. The call for a guarantee comes at a delicate time in Polish politics, following a change in government in December 2023, shifting from Duda’s conservative, nationalist party to Tusk’s centrist, pro-European coalition. The president holds considerable power, including the ability to veto legislation, though a parliamentary supermajority can overturn such vetoes.
Auschwitz, built by the Nazis in occupied Poland, stands as a poignant symbol of the Holocaust’s gruesome legacy. More than 1.1 million individuals, predominantly Jews, suffered tragic fates at the camp through forced labor, starvation, disease, and mass executions in gas chambers before its liberation. The devastation of Poland’s Jewish community during World War II was catastrophic, with over three million lives lost, representing nearly half of the total Holocaust victims.
The annual commemorations of Auschwitz’s liberation serve as a critical reminder of the atrocities committed in Europe during the war. Duda is currently awaiting Tusk’s formal response regarding the requested assurances for Netanyahu’s possible attendance, which is anticipated to attract global leaders and Holocaust survivors committed to honoring the memory of those affected by Nazi brutality.
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