News

Warsaw, Aug 16th, 2021.

Declaration on statements made by Israeli politicians in reaction to the adoption of the amendment
to the Code of Administrative Procedure by the Parliament of the Republic of Poland

Holocaust and the fate of Jews during the WWII was one of the greatest tragedies in human history. The joint Polish-Israeli declaration from 2018 indicates that “Poland and Israel… are cooperating closely with each other as regards the memory and education of the Holocaust. This cooperation has been permeated by a spirit of mutual respect for the identity and historical sensitivity, including the most tragic periods of our history… Holocaust was an unprecedented crime, committed by Nazi Germany against the Jewish nation, including all Poles of Jewish origin. Poland has always expressed the highest understanding of the significance of the Holocaust as the most tragic part of the Jewish national experience… There is a common responsibility to conduct free research, to promote understanding and to preserve the memory of the history of the Holocaust”.

In the spirit of the above words, agreed at a difficult moment in mutual relations, and yet developed on the basis of dialogue and respect, one should express concern about the instrumental reference to the memory of the Holocaust in activities related to current politics. There is no doubt that Poland was a victim of German aggression during World War II, and is currently the guardian of Holocaust memorials and participates in initiatives to combat anti-Semitism.

We encourage the return to a calm dialogue based on mutual respect in the public discourse.

The Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute

The Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland