Poland seeks diplomatic balance over Netanyahu's ICC warrant

Towards the end of last week, news surfaced about a letter from President Andrzej Duda, requesting the preparation of an uninterrupted stay for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This was in the context of his potential participation in the ceremonies related to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau on 27th January. The Polish government has guaranteed Netanyahu immunity.

It is worth recalling that the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister. This stems from military actions in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including many children. According to Israeli media, Benjamin Netanyahu will not be visiting Poland. Instead, Education Minister Yoav Kisch is expected to attend the 80th-anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Nonetheless, this issue has sparked significant emotions in Poland. The government is accused of inconsistency, having criticised Mongolia for not executing the ICC warrant when Vladimir Putin visited that country. We reached out to the Palestinian Embassy in Warsaw for their perspective on the actions of the government and the president.

Ambassador Mahmoud Khalifa met today with Poland’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrzej Szejna and expressed his concern about the Polish government's decision to ensure protection for the war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu. Ambassador Khalifa emphasised that the 80th anniversary celebration of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau and the commemoration of the victims should be an opportunity to affirm the execution of the International Criminal Court's decision and arrest the war criminal Netanyahu, rather than ensuring his protection from responsibility, the response from the Palestinian Embassy stated.

Ambassador Khalifa added that there is hope the Polish presidency in the European Union will be more effective in taking steps to prevent Israeli aggression and will advocate for a united European effort towards more effective steps to achieve peace and stability in the region, based on a two-state solution, the embassy further stated in their response.

Finally, on behalf of the ambassador, it was conveyed that "the execution of ICC rulings cannot be selective". One cannot demand respect for the ICC's judgments and then the next day act in a manner entirely contrary, summarised the Palestinian Embassy.

The Supreme Bar Council has clarified that the execution of the warrant issued by the ICC is to be handled by the court, not the president or the prime minister. Unofficial information suggests that the Polish government is hesitant to jeopardise relations with the United States by detaining the prime minister of a country with which the USA maintains strong ties.