Polish-Jewish relations were resumed in 1990 after a break of nearly 23 years. The decision to re-establish these relations was made by the first democratic government headed by Premier Tadeusz Mazowiecki in fully sovereign Poland. Guided by the right understanding of matters of fundamental importance for the present day and future of Israel. Poland’s support for endeavours aimed at annulling the outrageous UN resolution equalling Zionism with racism was another step aimed at mutual rapprochement and development of Polish-Israeli collaboration in international organisations.
Contemporary Poland, a NATO member since 1999 and EU member since 2004, desires to be ever more widely perceived in Israel as an ally worth conducting a political dialogue with in pursuit of concordant interests. Traditionally, Poland is also perceived in Israel as a country that used to be the home of many Israeli families and which Israelis are visiting to make the young generation aware of the rich Jewish cultural heritage and traditions in this country, as well as their family roots. But Poland is also a place with which ever more Israelis associate visions of affluence. This is indicated by the rapidly rising interest in recent years in the Polish economy as an attractive place for investments.
During the past eighteen years Poland has been doing its best to meet the many expectations of Jewish people living both in the Diaspora as well as in Israel. Gradually, problems are being solved with regard to care over Jewish cemeteries, clarifying the historic truth related to the most difficult chapters in the common history of Poles and Jews, the repossession of property belonging to former Jewish religious communities and the protection of Jewish martyrdom sites on Polish territory.
A major role in the development of Polish-Israeli relations during the past two decades was played by the effectively developing collaboration of Polish institutions and organisations concerned with 20th century history, notably the Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, the Ghetto Fighters’ Holocaust House, the Jewish Resistance Museum and the Moreshet Institute. The unveiling in 1998 at the initiative of the Jewish-Polish Veterans in Israel organization of a monument on Herzel Mountain in Jerusalem, commemorating Jews who lost their lives fighting in Polish ranks on all WW2 fronts, was particularly symbolic of the historic ties linking Poles and Jews and of the new climate in mutual relations.
A special place in Polish-Israeli relations is occupied by the Judeo-Christian dialogue serving the rapprochement of both societies. In that context the memorable apostolic visit by Pope John Paul II to the Holy Land in 2000 deserves special note. There was and still is a general awareness in Israel of the extraordinary nature of the Pope’s visit, John Paul II being perceived not only as the head of the Catholic Church but also as the representative of the Polish nation. The Pope’s meeting with colleagues from Wadowice who survived the Holocaust, the visit to Yad Vashem and his prayer at the Wailing Wall in Old Jerusalem had an invaluable significance for Poland, and that also in the context of our present and future relations with Israel. The papal visit to Israel helped improve these relations and had an essential impact on reversing the still prevailing stereotype of Poland as an anti-Semitic country. The Pope’s meeting with Israeli leaders also contributed to Polish-Israeli rapprochement.
The basis and foundation of Polish-Israeli contacts consist of the over 800-year common history of the Polish and Jewish people, our general interests in the Middle East and foreign policy assumptions stemming from Poland’s NATO and EU membership and the integrated position of these institutions on the issue of dialogue with Israel.
In the present-day world of easy information flow and movements of goods and people, geographic distances play a secondary role. Polish-Israeli relations should be perceived as ones of a neighbourly nature: in many respects as spiritual and cultural neighbourhood. A neighbourhood of professed values and common experiences of a tragic past. And last but not least, a rich tradition built upon long centuries of co-existence. The Polish Year in Israel and the coinciding 18th anniversary of resuming diplomatic relations provide a good opportunity to bring this community and the ties between our countries back to memory.