ISGAP cancels trip to Poland over Polish threat to arrest Netanyahu at Auschwitz

The March of the Living at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp site in Poland, as Israel marked annual Holocaust Memorial Day, May 6, 2024. Photo courtesy of Chen Schimmel/Flash90.

JNS

The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) has announced the cancelation of its Holocaust Memorial Mission of leading academics to Poland, which was set to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

The ISGAP said that its decision comes in response to the Polish government’s reported threat to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to attend the commemoration event at the concentration camp, citing the contentious International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Bartoszewski reportedly said earlier this month that the country is “obliged to respect the provisions of the International Criminal Court,” signaling that an arrest would be imminent should Netanyahu enter Polish territory.

“For a Polish government official to threaten the arrest of the leader of the Jewish State at Auschwitz, the symbol of the Jewish people’s and humanity’s greatest tragedy, desecrates the sanctity of this solemn commemoration,” said ISGAP executive director Dr. Charles Asher Small.

“This move is politicized and provocative, and an insult to the memory of six million Jews murdered during the Shoah. This decision sends a dangerous message at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise globally,” he added.

Netanyahu’s office told JNS that the premier had never planned to attend the anniversary ceremony.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch is expected to represent Israel at the Jan. 27 ceremony on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is slated to be attended by scores of leaders and heads of state, including Britain’s King Charles.

Warsaw is set to take over the rotating presidency of the European Union in January.

The ISGAP’s Holocaust Memorial Mission was intended as a cornerstone initiative to honor the victims of Auschwitz, foster Holocaust education and confront rising global anti-Semitism.

The ISGAP has called on Poland to rescind its threats against the Israeli prime minister and reaffirm its commitment to Holocaust remembrance and education as essential tools in the fight against anti-Semitism.