Polish President Andrzej Duda urged the government to guarantee Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's safety from arrest should he attend a commemoration in the country of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
Duda’s latter, addressed to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, comes weeks after speculation arose that Netanyahu would skip the event over fears of his arrest following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Duda, who has clashed with Poland’s government, called for assurances that Netanyahu’s visit would proceed “unhindered.” In his letter, Duda expressed confidence that an “adequate formula” could reconcile Poland’s international legal obligations with the symbolic significance of Auschwitz’s liberation.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his former chief Yoav Gallant on November 21, accusing them of war crimes in Gaza. While all EU nations are ICC members, the bloc remains divided over whether to enforce such warrants.