After a prolonged stalemate in Israeli-Polish relations, and pursuant to contacts and a round of talks led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, together with Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen and Education Minister Yoav Kisch, a solution was found on Tuesday to the crisis that prevented the arrival of youth trips to Poland.
Three years after the halt to the arrival of youth trips to Poland, and pursuant to the contacts led by Prime Minister Netanyahu with the Polish government, the almost to-year stalemate in bilateral relations has ended; the sides have agreed on the resumption of Israeli youth trips.
Pursuant to the round of talks between the two countries led by Prime Minister Netanyahu with his Polish counterpart, and to the talks held by Minister of Foreign Affairs Cohen with the Polish Foreign Minister approximately one month ago, in the framework of which he sought to move forward on a solution for the resumption of the trips to Poland, a representative of the Polish Foreign Ministry announced today that Poland views positively the resumption in the arrival of youth trips to Poland and recognizes their importance to continued progress in bilateral ties.
"After a wasted year, we are returning the youth trips to Poland. There are many ways to study the lessons of the Holocaust but the best is with one's own eyes. I welcome our success in the resumption of our pupils' trips to Poland in order to study the horrors of the Holocaust from up close,” said Netanyahu.
“I thank Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Education Minister Yoav Kisch for their contributions to the effort. 'Know from whence you came and where you are going,'" he added.
Israel recalled its ambassador to Poland in August, 2021, in protest of Poland’s passage of a law curtailing limiting restitution for Holocaust-related claims. Days later, Poland recalled its ambassador to Israel.
In June of 2022, the Education Ministry announced the cancellation of the summer delegations to Poland due to disputes over the security of the Israeli groups.
Israeli-Polish ties had been strained following Poland’s passage of the "Holocaust Law", which banned discussion of Polish collaboration with Nazi Germany during World War II.
The law drew heavy criticism from the Israeli government, with the US State Department also expressing opposition to the bill. Polish opposition parties also criticized the law, and proposed to amend the bill.
In July of 2022, Israel and Poland agreed to restore full diplomatic relations during a conversation between President Isaac Herzog and his Polish counterpart, President Andrzej Duda.