{{pp|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox bilateral relations|Israel–Poland|Israel|Poland}} '''Israel–Poland relations''' comprise diplomatic relations between Israel and Poland. Israel has an embassy in Warsaw,<ref>[https://embassies.gov.il/warsaw-en/Pages/default.aspx Embassy of Israel in Warsaw]</ref> while Poland has an embassy in Tel Aviv.<ref>[https://telawiw.msz.gov.pl/en/root Embassy of Poland in Tel Aviv]</ref> The Polish ambassador to Israel is Marek Magierowski, while the newly appointed Israeli ambassador to Poland is Yacov Livne, and the charge d'affaires is Tal Ben-Ari Yaalon. Both countries are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Union for the Mediterranean and United Nations.
In 2007, approximately 1,200,000 Israeli citizens were eligible for Polish citizenship,<ref name="ynet">{{cite news|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3376540,00.html|title=דרכון פולני בזכות הסבתא מוורשה|date=16 March 2007|website=ynet |last1=סיקולר |first1=נעמה }}</ref>{{efn|this number essentially entails the amount of Israelis with least one Polish great-grandparent, as of 2007.}} including about 202,300 people who were born in Poland or had a Polish-born father.<ref>[http://www.cbs.gov.il/hodaot2004/01_04_98e.htm Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics]</ref> David Ben-Gurion, Shimon Peres and other important figures in Israeli history were born in Poland. {{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | image1 = Ambasada izraela w warszawie.JPG | caption1 = Embassy of Israel in Warsaw | width1 = 165 | image2 = Polish Embassy Tel Aviv 0890.JPG | caption2 = Embassy of Poland in Tel Aviv | width2 = 165 }}
==History== [[File:Bogdan Borusewicz Ceremonia wręczenia medali Sprawiedliwy wśród Narodów Świata Senat RP 2012.JPG|thumb|A ''Righteous Among the Nations'' award ceremony in the Polish Senate, 2012]] [[File:Shimon Peres in Poland2006 2.jpg|thumb|Shimon Peres and Lech Kaczyński in Poland, 2006]] Starting in the late 10th century, Poland was home to a Jewish community, which by the Late Middle Ages grew to become one of the largest in Europe, as Jews fled persecution and expulsions from Western Europe, while Poland issued the Statute of Kalisz in 1264, which granted them special protection.
=== Holocaust=== {{Main|The Holocaust in Poland|Polish Righteous Among the Nations}} In World War II and the Jewish genocide perpetrated by Germany, much of Poland's Jewish community was wiped out and many of those who survived were subjected to anti-Jewish violence and other hostility in Poland. Most of the survivors emigrated to other countries, with about 70,000 emigrating to Israel.<ref name=History>{{cite web|url=http://embassies.gov.il/warsaw-en/Relations/history-of-relations/Pages/il-pl-history.aspx|title=History of Relations|website=embassies.gov.il|access-date=5 September 2021}}</ref>
During German occupation, the country lost 20% of its population, or six million people. Over three million Polish Jews were murdered (90% of the country's Jewish population), primarily at the Chełmno, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka and Auschwitz extermination camps, who made up half of the Jewish Holocaust victims.<ref> * {{cite journal |journal=Polin: Studies in Polish Jewry |title=Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust |last=Polonsky |first=Antony |url=https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/abs/10.3828/polin.1989.4.226 |volume=4 |pages=226–242 |year=1989 |doi=10.3828/polin.1989.4.226 |access-date=16 October 2024|url-access=subscription }} * {{cite web |website=Yad Vashem |url=https://www.yadvashem.org/holocaust/about/fate-of-jews/poland.html |title=Murder of the Jews of Poland |access-date=16 October 2024 |quote=On the eve of the German occupation of Poland in 1939, 3.3 million Jews lived there. At the end of the war, approximately 380,000 Polish Jews remained alive, the rest having been murdered, mostly in the ghettos and the six death camps: Chelmo, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Majdanek and Auschwitz-Birkenau.}} * {{cite web |website=Holocaust Encyclopedia |url=https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/polish-victims |title=POLISH VICTIMS |access-date=16 October 2024 |quote=After defeating the Polish army in September 1939, the Germans ruthlessly suppressed the Poles by murdering thousands of civilians, establishing massive forced-labor programs, and relocating hundreds of thousands.}}</ref>
The citizens of Poland have the highest count of individuals who have been recognized by Israel's Yad Vashem as the ''Righteous Among the Nations'', for saving Jews from extermination during the Holocaust. There are {{Polish Righteous count|asofdate=y}} Polish men and women conferred with the honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/pdf-drupal/poland.pdf|title=Righteous Among the Nations Honored by Yad Vashem}}</ref> The list of Righteous Among the Nations is not comprehensive and it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of Poles concealed and aided tens of thousands of their Polish-Jewish neighbors.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Furth |first=Hans G. |title=One million Polish rescuers of hunted Jews? |journal=Journal of Genocide Research |year=1999 |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=227–232 |doi=10.1080/14623529908413952 |url=http://www.polonistyka.uj.edu.pl/documents/41623/fa9c34c0-f1d1-4932-9640-cd4773d78632|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Many of these initiatives were carried out by individuals, but there also existed organized networks of Polish resistance which were dedicated to aiding Jews – most notably, the ''Żegota'' organization.
=== Communist era=== From 1947 until the fall of its Soviet-installed Communist regime in 1989, Poland was a part of the Soviet Bloc and followed Soviet policy towards Israel. As part of the Bloc, on 29 November 1947 Poland voted in favor of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, which led to the establishment of the state of Israel. On 19 May 1948, Poland also recognized Israel and established diplomatic relations.<ref name=Relations>[http://www.telawiw.msz.gov.pl/en/bilateral_cooperation/?printMode=true Cooperation between Poland and Israel]</ref> In September 1948, Israel opened a diplomatic mission in Warsaw.<ref name=History/> Poland continued to follow Soviet policy towards Israel. After 1951, relations with Israel deteriorated as the Soviet Union significantly increased its involvement in the Arab world.<ref name=History/> In June 1967, after the Six-Day War, Poland joined the Soviet Bloc in severing diplomatic relations with Israel.<ref name=Relations />
In May 1948, Polish-born David Ben-Gurion became Israel's first prime minister.
In 1986, Poland initiated contacts with Israel, and both countries soon opened interest offices in the other country, and in 1988 an Israel-Poland Chamber of Commerce was formed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.israel-poland.com/about1.asp |title=Israel-Poland Chamber of Commerce |access-date=5 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707090354/http://www.israel-poland.com/about1.asp |archive-date=7 July 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Post Communist era=== [[File:Israeli Air Force jets Fly-over Auschwitz concentration camp.jpg|thumb|right|Israeli Air Force flight over Auschwitz in 2003.]] In 1989, Poland's communist government fell, and in November 1989 Polish-born Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres visited Poland, paving the way for the resumption of diplomatic relations. During his visit, Peres met with Polish President Wojciech Jaruzelski and Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/11/27/Peres-visit-could-restore-Polish-Israeli-ties/1712628146000/|title=Peres visit could restore Polish-Israeli ties|work=UPI|first=Bogdan|last=Turek|date=27 November 1989|access-date=17 August 2021}}</ref> Full diplomatic relations were restored on 27 February 1990, leading to expanded political, military, economic, and cultural cooperation between the two countries.<ref name=Relations /> In May 1991, Polish President Lech Wałęsa visited Israel.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/21/world/walesa-in-israel-regrets-poland-s-anti-semitism.html|title=Walesa, In Israel, Regrets Poland's Anti-Semitism|work=The New York Times|date=21 May 1991|first=Joel|last=Brinkley|access-date=17 August 2021}}</ref>
At the start of the Gaza war, the Polish Air Force evacuated Polish citizens from Israel to Crete, Greece, from where they were then transported by civilian aircraft to Poland,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2023-10-10/izrael-tak-wyglada-ewakuacja-polakow/|title=Wojna w Izraelu. Tak wygląda ewakuacja Polaków|website=Polsat News|date=10 October 2023|access-date=8 December 2023|language=pl}}</ref> whereas Israeli citizens were transported by the Polish Air Force from Poland to Israel, so they could either join the defense of Israel or reunite with their mourning families.<ref name=pap>{{cite web|url=https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/ambasador-izraela-w-polsce-izraelscy-obywatele-powrocili-do-ojczyzny-na-pokladzie|title=Ambasador Izraela w Polsce: izraelscy obywatele powrócili do ojczyzny na pokładzie polskiego samolotu wojskowego|website=Polska Agencja Prasowa|author=Marta Stańczyk|date=10 October 2023|access-date=8 December 2023|language=pl}}</ref> Israel's Ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne thanked Poland for help in the matter.<ref name=pap/>
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned Israel's conduct during the Gaza war.<ref>{{cite news |title=Poland stands with Israel but not with policies causing civilian suffering, says PM Tusk |url=https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/artykul/3560110,poland-stands-with-israel-but-not-with-policies-causing-civilian-suffering-says-pm-tusk |work=Polskie Radio |date=3 August 2025}}</ref> In August 2025, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski accused Israel of using "excessive force" in the Gaza Strip. He urged Israel to "respect international humanitarian law" in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, saying that "no one has the right to cause children to starve". Sikorski also said that Poland recognized the Palestinian state many years ago and has always condemned illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.<ref>{{cite news |title="No one has the right to make children starve," Poland tells Israel in Gaza warning |url=https://notesfrompoland.com/2025/08/03/no-one-has-the-right-to-make-children-starve-poland-tells-israel/ |work=Notes From Poland |date=3 August 2025}}</ref>
==Trade and transportation agreements== In 1995, Israel signed an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU) which includes free trade and came into effect in 2000.<ref name=Europe>[http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/israel/ Israel - Trade - European Commission]</ref> In 2004, on Poland joining the EU, the free trade provisions of the EU Agreement applied to trade between Israel and Poland. In 2016, trade between Israel and the EU totaled €34.3 billion,<ref name=Trade /> while trade between Israel and Poland was US$682 million.<ref name=Trade>[http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/pol/ OEC: Poland]</ref> Israel's main exports to Poland include: gas turbines, packaged medicaments, calcium phosphate, fruits and vegetables and medical instruments. Poland's main exports to Israel include food-based products, textiles processing machines, vehicle chassis, cars, buses, dairy and wheat.<ref name=Trade />
There are regular flights between Israel and Poland by the following airlines: Arkia, El Al, Enter Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Ryanair, Travel Service and Wizz Air.
==State visits== {| cellspacing=7 |- valign=top | ;Presidential and Prime Ministerial visits <br/>from Israel to Poland<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jta.org/1992/05/27/archive/herzog-uneveils-memorial-stone-in-emotional-visit-to-auschwitz|title=Herzog Unveils Memorial Stone in Emotional Visit to Auschwitz|work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|date=27 May 1992|access-date=16 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/21/world/gore-congratulates-poland-on-its-democracy.html|title= Gore Congratulates Poland on its Democracy|work=The New York Times|first=Jane|last=Perlez|date=21 April 1993|access-date=17 August 2021}}</ref><ref>[http://www.gettyimages.com/event/israeli-pm-ariel-sharon-visits-auschwitz-nazi-death-camp-52760454?#in-this-handout-photo-from-the-israeli-government-press-office-prime-picture-id52765187 Israeli PM Ariel Sharon Visits Auschwitz Nazi Death Camp]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2005/Pages/Pres%20Katsav%20visits%20Poland%20on%2060th%20anniversary%20of%20the%20liberation%20of%20Auschwitz%2026-Jan-2005.aspx|title= President Katsav visits Poland to mark 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz|website=mfa.gov.il|date=26 January 2005|access-date=17 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.haaretz.com/news/peres-in-poland-israel-ready-to-forgo-land-to-achieve-real-peace-1.244171|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427103030/http://www.haaretz.com/news/peres-in-poland-israel-ready-to-forgo-land-to-achieve-real-peace-1.244171|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 April 2017|title=Peres in Poland: Israel Ready to Forgo Land to Achieve Real Peace|work=Haaretz|date=17 April 2008|access-date=17 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-in-poland-calls-for-peace-talks-without-delay/|title=Netanyahu, in Poland, calls for peace talks 'without delay'|work=The Times of Israel|date=12 June 2013|access-date=17 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2014/Pages/President-Rivlin-begins-official-visit-to-Poland-28-October-2014.aspx|title=President Rivlin begins official visit to Poland|website=mfa.gov.il|date=28 October 2014|access-date=17 August 2021}}</ref> * President Chaim Herzog (1992) * Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1993) * Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (2005) * President Moshe Katsav (2005) * President Shimon Peres (2008) * Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2013) * President Reuven Rivlin (2014, 2018) | ;Presidential and Prime Ministerial visits <br/> from Poland to Israel<ref name=History /><ref>[https://www.knesset.gov.il/description/eng/doc/speech_kwasniewski_2000_eng.pdf Address by Aleksander Kwaśniewski]</ref><ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ Polish President Lech Kaczyński visits Israel]</ref><ref>[http://telawiw.msz.gov.pl/en/news/official_visit_of_the_president_of_poland_to_israel Official visit of the President of Poland (Komorowski) to Israel]</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/polish-pm-involved-in-motor-vehicle-accident-in-israel/2016/11/21/|title=Polish PM Involved in Motor Vehicle Accident in Israel|work=Jewish Press|first=Hana|last=Levi Julian|date=21 November 2016|access-date=5 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Jerusalem-Warsaw-seek-enhanced-ties-as-Polish-president-visits-Israel-478727|title=Jerusalem, Warsaw seek enhanced ties as Polish President visits Israel|work=The Jerusalem Post|first=Greer Fay|last=Cashman|date=17 January 2017|access-date=5 September 2021}}</ref>
* President Lech Wałęsa (1991) * Prime Minister Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz (1997) * President Aleksander Kwaśniewski (1999, 2000, 2005) * President Lech Kaczyński (2006) * Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński (2006) * Prime Minister Donald Tusk (2008, 2011) * President Bronisław Komorowski (2013) * Prime Minister Beata Szydło (2016) * President Andrzej Duda (2016, 2017) |}
==Bilateral relations== [[File:Polish Consul Jer.JPG|thumb|Polish consulate, Jerusalem]] Over the years, both Israel and Poland have signed numerous bilateral agreements including an Agreement on Cooperation in Culture, Science and Education (1991); Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income (1991); Agreement on Cooperation in Culture, Science and Education (1991); Air Transport Agreement (1991); Agreement for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments (1992); Agreement in the field of Economy, Science and Technology regarding Cooperation Applied to Agriculture and Food Industry (1993); Agreement on Technical Cooperation in Dairy Development (1997); Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism (1999); Agreement on the Abolition of Visa Requirement for holders of Ordinary and National Passports (2000); and an Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters (2001).<ref>[http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutTheMinistry/LegalTreaties/Pages/Bilateral-Treaties.aspx Bilateral Agreements between Israel and Poland]</ref>
==Diplomatic incidents== In early 2018, both chambers of the Polish parliament (the Sejm and Senate) adopted an Amendment to the Act on the Institute of National Remembrance, criminalizing the ascription to Poles collectively of complicity in World War II Jewish-Holocaust-related or other war crimes committed by the Axis powers, and condemning use of the expression, "Polish death camp".<ref name="wapo20180127">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/01/27/it-could-soon-be-a-crime-to-blame-poland-for-nazi-atrocities-and-israel-is-appalled/|title=Israel and Poland try to tamp down tensions after Poland's 'death camp' law sparks Israeli outrage|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=28 January 2018|first1=Ruth|last1=Eglash|first2=Avi|last2=Selk|access-date=3 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-poland/israel-and-poland-clash-over-proposed-holocaust-law-idUSKBN1FH0S3|title=Israel and Poland clash over proposed Holocaust law|work=Reuters|date=28 January 2018|first1=Jeffrey|last1=Heller|first2=Marcin|last2=Goettig|access-date=4 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="SmithsonianJan2018">{{cite news|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/poland-grants-initial-approval-controversial-death-camp-bill-180967975/|title=The Controversy Around Poland's Proposed Ban on the Term "Polish Death Camps"|work=The Smithsonian Magazine|date=29 January 2018|first=Brigit|last=Katz|access-date=4 September 2021}}</ref> The law sparked a crisis in Polish-Israeli relations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-poland-reverses-disputed-holocaust-law-56194754|title=The Latest: Party head: Israel confirms Polish view on Nazis|work=ABC News|access-date=7 July 2018|language=en}}</ref> At the Munich Security Conference on 17 February that year, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said "it is not going to be seen as criminal to say that there were Polish perpetrators, as there were Jewish perpetrators, as there were Russian perpetrators, as there were Ukrainian perpetrators, not only German perpetrators."<ref name=cbs>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poland-mateusz-morawiecki-israel-netanyahu-holocaust-jewish-perpetrators/|title="Jewish perpetrators" remark reignites Poland Holocaust dispute|date=19 February 2018|work=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.securityconference.de/en/media-library/munich-security-conference-2018/video/statements-by-mateusz-morawiecki-and-sebastian-kurz/|title=Statements by Mateusz Morawiecki and Sebastian Kurz|website=www.securityconference.de|access-date=20 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180319082112/https://www.securityconference.de/en/media-library/munich-security-conference-2018/video/statements-by-mateusz-morawiecki-and-sebastian-kurz/|archive-date=19 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> His remark prompted a controversy, and condemnation by prominent Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<ref name=cbs/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/benjamin-netanyahu-mateusz-morawiecki-jews-perpetrators-holocaust-munich-security-conference-a8216421.html|title=Benjamin Netanyahu attacks Polish PM for saying Jews were among perpetrators of the Holocaust|work=The Independent|first=Maya|last=Oppenheim|date=18 February 2018|access-date=3 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/polish-embassy-in-israel-vandalized-after-polish-pm-controversial-remarks/4260010.html|title=Polish Embassy in Israel Vandalized After Polish PM's Controversial Remarks|date=18 February 2018|work=VOA News}}</ref> The crisis was resolved in late June that year when the Polish and Israeli prime ministers issued a joint communiqué endorsing research into the Jewish Holocaust and condemning the expression, "Polish concentration camps".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/06/27/world/europe/ap-eu-poland-holocaust-law-the-latest.html|title=The Latest: Party Head: Israel Confirms Polish View on Nazis|access-date=7 July 2018|language=en}}</ref>
Relations again deteriorated in February 2019 when during a visit to Poland, Netanyahu said, "Poles collaborated with the Nazis". Misquotes of this in the media as "the Poles collaborated with the Nazis" led Morawiecki to consider cancelling his planned visit to Israel the following month for a Visegrád Group summit.<ref>{{cite news|work=Arutz Sheva|title=Polish PM 'seriously considering' cancelling Israel visit|first=Elad|last=Benari|date=15 February 2019|access-date=5 September 2021|url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259088?}}</ref> Netanyahu's office clarified that this was a misquote by the Jerusalem Post, and he did not say "The Poles" but "a not insignificant number of Poles", an explanation accepted by the Polish government.<ref>{{cite news|date=15 February 2018|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/poland-ends-spat-with-israel-over-pms-comments-blames-media-manipulation/|title=Poland moves to end spat with Israel over PM comments, blames media manipulation|work=The Times of Israel|first=Raphael|last=Ahren|access-date=5 September 2021}}</ref> However, the dispute reignited 3 days later, when Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz claimed that "the Poles imbibe antisemitism from their mothers’ milk" and subsequently refused to apologise, resulting in Poland pulling out of the Visegrad Group summit altogether, leading to its cancellation.<ref>{{cite news|work=Jerusalem Post|date=18 February 2019|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Anatomy-of-a-crisis-How-Israel-Polish-relations-collapsed-581006|title=Anatomy of a crisis: How Israel-Polish relations collapsed|first=Tovah|last=Lazaroff|access-date=4 September 2021}}</ref> U.S. Ambassador to Poland Georgette Mosbacher remarked that there was no room for offensive comments,<ref>{{Cite news|work=The Times of Israel|date=19 February 2019|title=Siding with Poland, US slams Israeli FM's 'offensive' anti-Semitism remark|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/siding-with-poland-us-slams-israeli-fms-offensive-anti-semitism-remark/}}</ref> and asked Israel to apologize.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Times of Israel|date=20 February 2019|title=US envoy calls on FM Katz apologize to Poland for anti-Semitism remark|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-envoy-calls-on-fm-katz-apologize-to-poland-for-anti-semitism-remark/}}</ref> New Right leader and cabinet minister Naftali Bennett noted that his wife's family lived four years in a forest in Poland and were finally murdered by Poles.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Bennett-on-Poland-We-cannot-allow-anyone-anywhere-to-rewrite-history-580990|title=Bennett on Poland: We cannot allow anyone, anywhere to rewrite history|work=The Jerusalem Post|first=Jeremy|last=Sharon|date=18 February 2019|access-date=3 September 2021}}</ref>
In February 2019, Poland cancelled an Israeli official delegation trip to Poland.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/poland-cancels-israeli-delegations-trip-over-holocaust-property-restitution-row/|title=Poland cancels Israeli officials' trip over Holocaust property restitution row|work=The Times of Israel|date=13 May 2019|access-date=5 September 2021}}</ref> In May 2019, a man was arrested for spitting at Polish ambassador Marek Magierowski while he was sitting in his car near the embassy. The man apologized and explained that he had been upset by an antisemitic slur by an embassy guard.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2019-05-17/ty-article/.premium/polish-prime-minister-denounces-racist-attack-after-israeli-spits-on-ambassador/0000017f-ded1-d856-a37f-ffd1b1f10000|title=Polish President Denounces 'Hate Crime' After Israeli Spits on Ambassador|first1=Bar|last1=Peleg|first2=Ofer|last2=Aderet|first3=Noa|last3=Landau|date=15 May 2019|work=Haaretz|access-date=5 September 2021}}</ref> Following comments by the Polish Prime Minister calling the incident "xenophobic", 29 former Polish ambassadors signed a letter criticizing the Polish government's response.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/polish-ex-diplomats-say-officials-politicizing-israeli-spitting-incident/|title=Polish ex-diplomats say Warsaw officials politicizing Israeli spitting incident|work=The Times of Israel|date=19 May 2019|access-date=5 September 2021}}</ref>
===Property restitution controversy=== {{main|Property restitution in Poland}}
In June 2021, Poland proposed a law to put a 10-to-30 year statute of limitation on restitution claims, which would therefore nullify cases regarding property seized during World War II, which Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid described as “immoral and a disgrace.” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said “I can only say that as long as I am the prime minister, Poland will not pay for German crimes: Neither zloty, nor euro, nor dollar.” Lapid also said, “We are fighting for the memory of the Holocaust victims, for the pride of our people, and we won’t allow any parliament to pass laws whose goal is to deny the Holocaust.”<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-poland-summon-each-others-envoys-over-holocaust-restitution-law-spat/|title=Israel, Poland summon each other's envoys over Holocaust restitution law spat|work=The Times of Israel|first=Amy|last=Spiro|date=27 June 2021|access-date=18 August 2021}}</ref> The proposed law would nevertheless also prevent people whose property was confiscated by the Polish communist government (1944–1989) from getting their lost property restituted/compensated.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/polish-senate-begins-hearings-on-confiscated-property-law-673143|title=Polish Senate begins hearings on Holocaust restitution law|work=The Jerusalem Post|first=Jeremy|last=Sharon|date=7 July 2021|access-date=18 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/polish-law-preventing-restitution-of-jewish-property-passes-in-senate-674733|title=Polish Law preventing restitution of Jewish property passes in senate|work=The Jerusalem Post|first=Tobias|last=Siegal|date=24 July 2021|access-date=18 August 2021}}</ref>
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda finally signed the law on 14 August. In response, Israel recalled its envoy from Poland and told the Polish ambassador not to return.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58218750|title=Polish law on property stolen by Nazis angers Israel|work=BBC News|access-date=18 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/international/polands-president-signs-bill-to-limit-ww2-property-restitution-claims-676711|title=Israel recalls envoy to protest signing of Poland's anti-restitution law|work=The Jerusalem Post|first=Tovah|last=Lazaroff|date=15 August 2021|access-date=18 August 2021}}</ref> Nevertheless, Poland returned its envoy to Israel in July 2022 as a sign of rapprochement in bilateral relations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-year-long-spat-over-holocaust-law-poland-says-its-returning-envoy-to-israel/|title=After year-long spat over Holocaust law, Poland says it's returning envoy to Israel|work=Times of Israel|date=4 July 2022|access-date=5 July 2022}}</ref>
== Public opinion == According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, 16% of people in Poland had a favorable view of Israel, while 62% had an unfavorable view; 11% had confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while 70% did not.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Silver|first=Laura|date=2025-06-02|title=Most in surveyed nations have negative views of Israel|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/06/03/most-people-across-24-surveyed-countries-have-negative-views-of-israel-and-netanyahu/sr_25-06-03_views-of-israel_1/|access-date=2025-07-02|website=Pew Research Center|language=en-US}}</ref>
==See also== * History of the Jews in Poland * Jewish Roots in Poland * Lauder – Morasha School * List of Polish Jews * "Polish death camp" controversy * Israel–EU relations
== References == {{notelist}} {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{cite web|url=https://polishhistory.pl/the-bridge-between-poland-and-israel/|title=The bridge between Poland and Israel - The 34th anniversary of the "Bridge" operation|first=Tomasz |last=Kozłowski|date=16 June 2025 |publisher=Polish History|archive-date=2025-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251020131843/https://polishhistory.pl/the-bridge-between-poland-and-israel/}}
{{Foreign relations of Israel}} {{Foreign relations of Poland}} {{Portal bar|Politics|Israel|Poland}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Israel-Poland relations}} Category:Israel–Poland relations Poland Category:Bilateral relations of Poland