Poland offers Netanyahu immunity amid controversy and criticism

At the end of last week, news broke about a letter from President Duda, requesting preparations for an uninterrupted stay for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This plan pertained to his potential participation in ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27. The Polish government guaranteed Netanyahu immunity.

It should be noted that the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister. This warrant is a result of military actions in the Gaza Strip, which led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including many children. According to Israeli media, Benjamin Netanyahu will not come to Poland. Instead, Education Minister Yoav Kisch is expected to attend the 80th anniversary celebrations of Auschwitz's liberation.

This issue has stirred significant emotions in Poland. The government faces accusations of inconsistency, having previously criticized Mongolia for not enforcing the ICC warrant when Vladimir Putin visited. We asked the Palestinian Embassy in Warsaw for a comment on the government's and the president's actions.

Ambassador Mahmoud Khalifa met today with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Andrzej Szejna, expressing his concern over the Polish government's decision to provide protection to the war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu. Ambassador Khalifa emphasized that the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau and the commemoration of its victims is an opportunity to enforce the ICC's decision and arrest the war criminal Netanyahu, rather than granting him protection from accountability, the Palestinian Embassy stated in their response.

Ambassador Khalifa added that there is hope that Poland's presidency of the European Union will be more effective in taking steps to halt Israeli aggression and will encourage a united European effort towards more effective measures to achieve peace and stability in the region based on a two-state solution, according to the embassy's response.

Finally, on behalf of the ambassador, it was conveyed that "the implementation of ICC judgments cannot be selective." One cannot demand respect for ICC judgments and then do the complete opposite the next day, summarized the Palestinian Embassy.

The National Bar Council stated that the enforcement of the ICC warrant is handled by the court and not by the president or prime minister. Unofficially, there was information that the Polish government did not want to damage relations with the United States by detaining the prime minister of a country with which the USA has strong ties.