Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no plans to attend an event in Poland commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp by the Red Army, Israeli media reported on Monday.
Netanyahu’s possible presence at the formal ceremony, scheduled for January 27, has triggered a controversy due to a standing warrant for his arrest, which was issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) last year. Poland, as a signatory of the Rome Statute, is obliged to enforce orders issued by the Hague-based judicial body. However, last week Warsaw extended safety guarantees to all invited guests, including the Israeli prime minister.
In response to the controversy, organizers have decided to exclude political speeches during the commemoration and draw attention to the few living survivors, who are in their eighties or older.