Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Photo: Reuters
Polish officials may cancel Israel trip as spat over Holocaust spirals
After Polish PM's decision to downgrade the country’s participation in the upcoming Visegrad conference in Tel Aviv in the wake of Netanyahu's controversial remarks, Poland may now cancel the trip altogether following Yisrael Katz's 'disgraceful' comments.
An already tense diplomatic situation between Israel and Poland took a new downturn Monday, after officials in Warsaw took umbrage at repeated Israeli remarks suggesting Polish complicity in the Holocaust. Polish officials may cancel their planned trip to Israel, the head of the Polish prime minister's office, Michal Dworczyk, said on Monday after similar remarks by new acting Israeli foreign minister Yisrael Katz emerged.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki decided earlier to call off his visit to Israel, sending Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz instead. However, the whole visit could now be cancelled as the diplomatic row deepened.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Reuters)
Dworczyk noted what he described as a "disgraceful" new statement by Katz.
"In the light of this statement, any participation of representatives of the Polish state in the V4 summit in Israel is under a very big question mark," Dworczyk told state ratio. The V4 summit in Israel was a planned gathering of leaders from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary.
Acting Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz told Army Radio on Monday that he was in favour of maintaining relations with Poland, but he repeated his earlier opinions.
"Historical truth cannot be changed. Many Poles collaborated with the Nazis and took part in the destruction of the Jews during the Holocaust. ... Anti-Semitism was innate among the Poles before the Holocaust, during it and after it, too," he said.
Yisrael Katz (Photo: Emil Selman)
Before World War Two Poland was home to one of the world's biggest Jewish communities which was almost wiped out by the Nazis.
Many Poles still refuse to accept research showing thousands participated in the Holocaust in addition to the thousands who risked their lives to help the Jews.
Tensions between Israel and Poland ran high last year after Poland introduced new legislation that would have made the use of phrases such as "Polish death camps" punishable by up to three years in prison.
After pressure from the US government and an outcry in Israel, Poland watered down the legislation, removing the prison sentences.
Itamar Eichner and Associated Press contributed to this story
