Poland will protect Benjamin Netanyahu from potential ICC arrest

Poland's government on Thursday adopted a resolution promising senior Israeli officials can freely travel to Poland without risk of facing arrest.

This measure would include both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, both of whom currently face arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court.

The bill extends this protection to Israeli officials for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz, which is set to take place later this month.

“The Polish government treats the safe participation of the leaders of Israel in the commemorations on January 27, 2025, as part of paying tribute to the Jewish nation, millions of whose daughters and sons became victims of the Holocaust carried out by the Third Reich,” read the resolution.

As a member state of the ICC, Poland is required to detain suspects facing arrest warrants if they set foot on their soil. However, the ICC has no power to enforce this.