There is one very simple reason for that. The State of Israel was largely built by Jewish émigrés from Poland. Their ancestors had lived on Polish territories for centuries. They enriched Polish culture and, in turn, absorbed a lot from it. This co-existence over the centuries was not always easy. There were some fine moments. There were also tragic times. The Holocaust of the Jewish nation, a crime committed on Polish soil, but not by Polish hands, cast a dramatic shadow over Polish-Jewish relations.
Poland and the Poles always advocated the idea of a Jewish state. Poland welcomed the Balfour declaration. It supported Jewish settlement in Palestine. It was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Israel. Then came an unfortunate time when the communist authorities decided to break off diplomatic ties. An anti-Semitic campaign drove well over ten thousand Holocaust survivors and their families out of the country. However, as soon as Poland regained sovereignty it instantly resumed diplomatic relations with Israel.
What are Polish-Israeli relations like eighteen years on? It would be an understatement to say that they are perfect. Both countries describe the nature of their relations as a strategic partnership. Israel regards Poland as its closest ally among European Union member states. Political dialogue at all levels is so lively that it would be difficult to list all the contacts. In the first half of this year alone the Polish Prime Minister is to visit Israel, while the Israeli President is expected to visit Poland. Defence co-operation is developing very well. The two countries’ armaments industries are doing good business. According to preliminary statistics for 2007 two-way trade last could reach half a billion US dollars. Direct Israeli investment in Poland is hard to gauge, because many of the transactions are multinational. Insiders say total Israeli FDIs could amount to between 1 and 2 billion US dollars.
Of course, much remains to be done. The excellent relations between the two states do not always translate into close people-to-people relations. The amount of mutual prejudice and stereotypes still seems daunting. Judging by the almost perfectly complementary nature of the two economies, two-way trade could be much higher. A lot remains to be done in terms of scientific and technological collaboration. However, we hope that just like it was possible to make a great job of restoring political relations following more than two decades of profound hostility, it will be possible to remove existing barriers and obstacles. We trust that the wide-ranging and high-profile Polish season in Israel will mark another important step along this path. It is also our hope that the growing tourist and cultural exchanges will bring the two nations even closer together. After all, we are not only linked by a common history, but also by ever-deepening present-day contacts.