Warsaw has refused to honor the international arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister
Hundreds of people marched in Warsaw on Friday to protest against the Polish government’s decision not to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In November, The Hague-based court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on charges of committing war crimes in Gaza. On Thursday, the office of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Warsaw would not arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli leader travels to Poland for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Auschwitz death camp during World War II.
Protesters rallied outside the Presidential Chancellery building, waving Palestinian flags and posters with anti-Netanyahu slogans.
Protest przeciw polskiej ochronie dla Netanjahu idzie sprzed Kancelarii Prezydenta pod Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości i Kancelarię Premiera. Jest kilkaset osób, skandują "aresztować Netanjahu". @OnetWiadomoscipic.twitter.com/UEpZyvQHVn
Because the ICC lacks any police force or enforcement powers of its own, it relies on the countries that signed the Rome Statute to enforce its warrants. Poland signed the treaty, but Israel did not. Netanyahu has denied the accusations of war crimes and reaffirmed that the Jewish state does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction.
The Israeli prime minister is not currently planning to attend the ceremony commemorating the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz, the Times of Israel wrote on Thursday, citing an aide in the Netanyahu cabinet. Netanyahu may consider attending, but Poland would have to “solve the ICC issue” first, the aide said.
On Thursday, the US House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing the imposition of sanctions on the ICC if the court charges Americans or citizens of allied nations. The US does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and has refused to back the outstanding warrant for Netanyahu.
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