The recent diplomatic spat between Israel and Poland unfortunately
raises a long, ongoing issue about Holocaust denial, and the denial by
certain groups of their involvement n the perpetration of acts of
genocide against Jews during the Shoah. The Polish denial is already
not new. Israel finds it has something of a dilemma about how to respond to the
unacceptable Polish position.
In early 2018, Poland
passed a law that criminalised any reference to Poland or Poles being
involved or complicit in crimes committed during the Shoah. In
particular, the law criminalised use of the term "Polish death camps".
In essence, the Poles have denied that crimes committed on Polish soil
during the Shoah were anything to do with Poland or Polish people.
Instead, the blame is being laid squarely at the door of the Nazis and
the Third Reich, which occupied Poland at that time. While the acts and influences by the Nazis is undeniable, there is also little doubt that Poles were complicit
in some terrible crimes that were perpetrated in the Shoah against
Jews. This is true both in the death camps and ghettos that were on
Polish soil, and in individual events that took place elsewhere. Former
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, whose father was killed during
the Shoah by Poles, adamantly claimed that "Poles suckle antisemitism
with their mothers' milk". This statement is considered to have
significantly delayed the establishment of diplomatic relations between
Israel and Poland, but also shows the strength of his hatred towards the antisemitism shown by Poles.
The official Polish position on all
that took place during the Shoah in Poland is that it was either
perpetrated by the Nazis, or was perpetrated at the instigation of the
Nazis. This effectively absolves Poland and Polish people of any crimes
committed against Jews, as the Nazis are blamed even for the crimes
committed by Poles. Why does Israel care about what Poland says now
about acts that were committed more than 70 years ago? Why does Israel
feel that it has a dilemma about how to respond to Poland's position on
Shoah-era actions?
Antisemitism is increasingly visible
and rife around the world. Much of it is dressed up as anti-Israel
activity in an attempt to make it politically acceptable to express in
public. But the age-old antisemitism that was so prevalent in the years
leading up to the Shoah and during the Shoah, is very visible again today. And it is being too
easily and broadly tolerated. Poland is not exempt from this
phenomenon, with highly visible signs of antisemitism evident all around
Poland. It is incumbent upon the Polish government to acknowledge and
accept the actions of Poles during the Shoah as a platform to oppose it
in the current day. If Israel was to simply smooth over the role of the
Poles during the Shoah, this would serve not only to insult the
memories of numerous Jews and non-Jews who were killed or abused at the
hands of Poles or where Poles were complicit or indifferent, but it
would also serve to dilute the fight against antisemitism in Poland in
the current day.
In spite of this, we cannot forget
that there are more Poles who have been declared "Righteous Among the
Nations" by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre, than any
other nation. This is a title bestowed upon those who helped Jews in
spite of the overwhelming social pressures that influenced them to be
antisemitic. There is no attempt to paint the Polish people as
universally antisemitic. It is important to recognise both right
and wrong. The real dilemma for Israel presents itself in the form of
the opposition to this by the Polish government that has an impact on
diplomatic relations between the two countries. Cordial diplomatic
relations with Poland have helped Israel to educate many of its younger
generation and young leadership by sending them to Poland to witness
first-hand the atrocities that were committed at the death camps on
Polish soil. This education process culminates each year in the annual
"March of the Living" during which Jews return to Auschwitz-Birkenau
with Israeli Air Force planes flying overhead to proclaim "never
again". If this is all that Israel manages to get out of its diplomatic
relations with Poland, it is a great deal. And probably enough to justify
maintaining diplomatic relations almost at any price.
The
law in Poland has now been changed such that it is no longer a criminal
offence to implicate Poland in the Shoah, but now "only" a civil
offence. The denial has been diluted in its severity rather than being
cancelled, which is surely not enough. This denial is unwelcome, and is
supporting the resurgence of antisemitism in Poland, Europe and around
the world. The Polish government stands accused, once again, of being
complicit to antisemitism. And, while the Israeli government and
officials will continue to speak out on this matter, this opposition is
unlikely to be allowed to derail the diplomatic relations between the
two countries. With some justification.
Under current circumstances, I would forego diplomatic relations with Poland to protest their denial. I would make a statement that requires Poland to recognise the role played by Poles in persecuting Jews, even if this comes at the expense of diplomatic relations with Poland. I support Prime Minister Netanyahu in his insistence on taking the difficult decision to talk about this during his recent trip to Poland. Anything less would be a statement condoning antisemitism. Even though more than 70 years have passed since the Shoah, Poland should be forced to acknowledge the role played by Polish forefathers in this black period in Poland's history.
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