Netanyahu skips holocaust event in Poland fearing arrest

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to avoid travelling to Poland fearing arrest, according to a Polish report Friday December 20, 2024

[Image: File/X (formerly Twitter)]

Warsaw: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to avoid travelling to Poland fearing arrest, according to a Polish report Friday December 20, 2024.

The reports came at the backdrop of Poland threatening to arrest Netanyahu if he attends next month’s ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in Poland.

The event is planned for “International Holocaust Remembrance Day” on January 27, 2025 and is likely to be attended by dozens of leaders and heads of state, including Britain’s King Charles.

Auschwitz was the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centers. The complex had over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II.

Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported that Israeli authorities have not contacted their Polish counterparts about attending the event, and officials in Warsaw believe the reason is related to Poland’s pledge that it will adhere to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu over war crimes in the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

The UN court had issued arrest warrant against Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant accusing them of committing war crimes in Gaza.

The EU country’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, told newspaper Rzeczpospolita that Poland, as a signatory of the Rome Statute, is obligated to comply with the directives of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The newspaper also said Israeli President Isaac Herzog too does not have any plan to attend the event in January next year.

Israel’s Education Minister Yoav Kisch is however expected to be the only government representative at the Auschwitz commemoration, according to Jerusalem Post.

In a related development, the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has urged Muslims, local government and other organisations to boycott Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations as the organiser has failed to add Gaza to the list of genocides.

Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates.

Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.