Demonstrators urge Poland to detain Netanyahu
Date
1/13/2025 7:36:51 AM
(MENAFN) Hundreds of protesters gathered in Warsaw on Friday to demand the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following Poland's announcement that it would not detain him if he visited the country. This decision came after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes related to Gaza. The Polish government confirmed that it would not comply with the warrants if Netanyahu attends the 80th anniversary of the Auschwitz concentration camp’s liberation in Poland.
Demonstrators rallied outside the Presidential Chancellery, waving Palestinian flags and holding anti-Netanyahu signs, chanting "Arrest Netanyahu" and accusing Polish leaders, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda, of "defending genocide." While Poland is a signatory to the Rome Statute that establishes the ICC, Israel is not, and the ICC lacks its own enforcement powers, relying on member states to act on its warrants.
Netanyahu, who denies the war crimes allegations and does not recognize the ICC's authority, is not currently planning to attend the Auschwitz commemoration but may reconsider if the issue with the ICC is resolved. Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill allowing sanctions against the ICC if it pursues charges against Americans or allies.
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