Diplomatic tensions between Israel, Poland rise again
Diplomatic tensions are increasing again between Jerusalem
and Warsaw after they appeared to be thawing following a spat this past summer
over the passage of a Holocaust restitution law.
The Polish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday took the unusual step
of ordering the country's Academy of Sciences to disclose any contacts members
have taken with researchers in Israel or at the Israeli embassy in Warsaw. The
directive also applies to researchers at other government agencies.
The nationalist Law and Justice party has headed Poland's
government since 2015 and has sought to downplay discussion of Polish
collaboration with the Nazis during World War II in favor of Polish resistance
and victimhood during the German occupation.
In June, the Polish parliament passed a law prohibiting any
return of property seized by the Nazis from Jews during the Holocaust to their
heirs.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid immediately reacted by
recalling the charge d'affaires at the Israeli embassy in Poland, Tal Ben-Ari.
However, her return has angered some Polish MPs because
there was no official announcement.
An Israeli source familiar with the matter estimated that
Lapid made a serious error in the management of relations with Poland.
"Yair Lapid should not have acted as he did in July,
without even consulting the Americans. Poland is one of our best allies in
Europe, especially against Iran. They will not soon forget Lapid's vehement
statements," the source told Ynet.
Comments
Post a Comment