The Israeli media, with all due exaggeration, are again talking about the hostile policy of the government in Warsaw, but - putting emotions aside - it is clear that it is, after all, about sorting out the obvious. We are open like few other countries to visits by young Israelis, and the Polish state protects the Holocaust memorials with unprecedented care. The only thing we want is a partnership agreement regulating the principles of organising these trips.

Marek Pyza and Marcin Wikło raise the issue of Polish-Israeli relations in the context of trips organised for young people from Israel over the years. They observe that… it must be a difficult experience for these young people just to visit German (although located on our territory) former concentration camps, places where Jews were mass murdered during World War II. In addition, children and young people are separated from the locals, including their peers. What they hear beforehand (during preparatory meetings) is that such contacts are not advisable, because they are not wanted here […]. The fact that they are escorted by Israeli service agents with guns loaded with live ammunition further adds to the drama.

The authors stress that, according to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

the tours, which were suspended due to the pandemic and are co-organised by the Israeli Ministry of Education, should be brought back, but under new rules. They quote the words of the deputy foreign minister, according to which the previous formula of the tours generated problems that led to the reinforcement of false stereotypes, which had a negative impact on relations between Poland and Israel. Pyza and Wikło explain that… until now there have been no clear regulations regarding tours.

Poland made such a document and received many comments as a response,

as well as the information that the tours have been suspended since they cannot take place under the former rules. The Israeli media rushed to attack […]. Nevertheless, our diplomatic ministry is keen to see intergovernmental consultations take place in the summer, including with representatives of the ministries of education and science, interior and administration, as well as culture and national heritage.

The authors point out that

there has been a growing trouble over the years […] regarding tours of Israeli school students to Poland. The main point of disagreement today […] is the issue of the behaviour of armed security […]. There were also widespread complaints about the behaviour of teenagers coming to Poland […]. The atmosphere during these tours became notorious more than a decade ago when Israeli documentary filmmaker Jo’aw Shamir made the film Defamation […]. In this image, we can see what the preparation of young people before their tours to Poland looks like. […] at the Yad Vashem institute, it is drilled into their heads that they are going to a country where they are hated […]. It is true that the situation has improved somewhat since the film came out […], but it is still far from a reliable teaching of history to young Israelis. Therefore, the second point of the agreement proposed to Tel Aviv is obligatory meetings with Polish peers, in order to break down stereotypes on both sides […]. In addition to this, the Polish side would like to broaden the tour programmes.

In conclusion, Pyza and Wikło emphasise:

‘Trying to change the rules of cooperation with the Israeli side on any issue is always subject to a certain risk, because Israel does not play fair with us. But eventually they must understand that overlaying every element of normal relations between countries on a background of alleged anti-Semitism is a path to nowhere. By doing so, Israel will only lose allies, and it should absolutely consider Poland as one.

Tłum. K.J.