Israel has reacted strongly to President Andrzej Duda’s signing of the amendment to the Polish administrative procedure codex. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid stated on social media that “today Poland has approved, not for the first time, an immoral and anti-Semitic law.”
Lapid also ordered the Israel embassy in Warsaw’s charge d’affaires to return to Israel for consultations, effective immediately and for an indefinite period. He also suggested that Poland’s ambassador to Israel, Marek Magierowski, should extend his vacation and not return to the country to resume his work.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded on Facebook to Israel’s decision to withdraw its charge d’affaires from Warsaw.
“Israel’s decision to lower the level of its diplomatic representation in Warsaw is baseless and irresponsible. Yair Lapid’s words are outrageous to every honest person,” Morawiecki declared.
He stressed that anyone who knew the truth about the Holocaust and Poland’s suffering during the Second World War would not accept such an approach to conducting foreign policy.
“Abusing this tragedy in the name of party interests is shameful and irresponsible. If Israel’s government will continue to attack Poland in this way, then this will have a severely negative impact on our relations, both bilateral and on the international forum,” the prime minister stated.
Morawiecki also opposed the attack on the Marek Magierowski, who served as Poland’s ambassador for three years and heavily contributed to building good Polish-Israeli relations.
“The result of these recent aggressive actions made by Israel’s government is a rise in hatred towards Poland and Poles in the country. I have therefore made the decision to safely transport our ambassador’s children home. Poland will never leave its ambassadors in need,” he stated.
President Andrzej Duda signed the law on Saturday, which addresses appropriations conducted by the communist government that ruled Poland from the end of World War II until 1989. It says nothing about the Holocaust or World War II.
Instead, it establishes that any administrative decision issued 30 years ago or more can no longer be challenged, meaning that property owners who had their homes or business seized in the communist era can no longer obtain compensation.
