Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and his Polish counterpart, Radosław Sikorski, exchanged sharp remarks following an incident involving an IDF soldier in southern Lebanon.
The exchange began after Minister Sa'ar condemned the damaging of a Christian religious symbol by an IDF soldier, describing the act as "grave and disgraceful." He commended the IDF for issuing a statement condemning the incident and for launching an investigation.
"This shameful action is completely contrary to our values," Sa'ar wrote, emphasizing that Israel respects different religions and their sacred symbols. He also issued an apology for the incident and to Christians whose feelings were hurt.
In response, Sikorski wrote in Polish that it was good that Sa'ar apologized quickly, adding that "there was something to apologize for." He stated that the soldier should be punished and that conclusions should be drawn regarding the way soldiers are trained. Sikorski further claimed that IDF soldiers admit to committing war crimes, alleging harm to Palestinian Arab civilians and even to Israeli hostages.
Sa'ar strongly rejected these statements, calling them "unfounded" and "defamatory." He said Sikorski’s remarks reflected "ignorance and a deep lack of understanding."
Addressing the broader issue, Sa'ar noted that in every war there are operational accidents, including cases of friendly fire, and that civilians are sometimes harmed, particularly when terrorists use them as human shields. He asserted that the IDF operates with a higher level of precision and intelligence than any other Western military and makes constant efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
"The IDF is a professional and ethical army," Sa'ar stated, adding that for 78 years it has faced continuous attempts to eliminate the State of Israel by hostile states and terrorist organizations.
He also argued that Western militaries seek to learn from the IDF’s experience and said that civilians in European countries benefit from the outcomes of its operations.
Sa'ar further urged Sikorski to condemn what he described as a "disgraceful antisemitic display" in the Polish parliament the previous week and cautioned against making what he called irresponsible statements.
The incident in question involved Polish MP Konrad Berkowicz of the far-right Confederation party, who desecrated an Israeli flag at the parliamentary podium on Holocaust Remembrance Day, replacing the Star of David with a swastika and accusing Israel of being "the new Third Reich." The Israeli Embassy in Warsaw condemned the act as an "antisemitic atrocity," while Polish officials, including the Speaker of Parliament, denounced the incident and called for legal action.
Sikorski responded that he had condemned the antisemitic incident on the day it occurred and noted that the individual involved had been disciplined by the Speaker of parliament. He added that if his remarks did not prompt changes in IDF training, he could not help further.
In his response, Sikorski also attached an article from the Haaretz newspaper concerning claims by soldiers that they committed war crimes.