Netanyahu to skip Auschwitz Anniversary Fearing Arrest Following ICC Arrest Warrant
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on during a press conference on October 8, 2015, at his office in Jerusalem. Netanyahu said Israel was facing a “wave of terror” that was mostly unorganised, pledging action against those inciting violence, but warning there was no “magic solution.” AFP PHOTO / GALI TIBBONGALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to miss next month’s ceremony marking 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. The event will take place in Poland on January 27, 2025, but fears of arrest under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant have reportedly influenced Netanyahu’s decision, according to Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on November 21. The charges include war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Under international law, all 124 ICC member states, including Poland, must arrest individuals named in such warrants if they enter their territory.
Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski reaffirmed the country’s commitment to upholding ICC rulings. Polish officials also confirmed that Israel has not requested Netanyahu’s attendance at the event.
What is Auschwitz anniversary?
The Auschwitz anniversary is the commemoration of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, which is marked on January 27th each year
The ceremony will honor Holocaust survivors and include leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron, King Felipe VI of Spain, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Israel may instead send Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to represent the occupation state.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will host the commemoration. Soviet forces liberated the Nazi death camp on January 27, 1945. The day is globally recognized as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Netanyahu faces increasing international scrutiny over Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli strikes have killed over 45,000 people, primarily women and children.
Source:qudsnen
