The war of remembrance that has been fought between Poland and Israel for the last year and a half is an unnecessary war, the fans of which are being flamed by populist officials in both countries who distort the past and the present for their own political needs.
It is not the achievement of historical justice they have in mind, but rather a desire to take advantage of the sensitive issue of diplomatic ties between Jews and Poles and use them as a battering ram against their political rivals back home, even if that means sabotaging national interests.
Due to historically sensitive ties between Israel and Poland, the political opponents of these populists are obligated to respond in such a way that deepens the crisis. Every time, it seems that a way has been found to put ties back on track, the populists find a way to raise the issue again.
Those who believe in the importance of the relationship between Israel and Poland – and there are many such people on both sides – watch helplessly from the sidelines as ties deteriorate and we approach the abyss. To the populists' cynical game, we can add the mistakes made by decision-makers, wretched remarks and a media that is leading us toward conflict. All of these elements have helped create the abyss that now separates the governments in Warsaw and Jerusalem. The Poles are confident that Israel's conduct is the result of a deep-rooted anti-Polish sentiment. The Israelis believe that the Poles are motivated by a desire to rewrite history and evade responsibility for what was done to the Jews during and after World War II.
The crisis has reached a head in recent months, with both the right-wing ruling governments in Israel and Poland finding themselves in the midst of a crucial election campaign. While the elections in Israel may be over, a coalition has yet to be formed. In another 10 days, Poland will hold elections for the European Parliament and in the fall, general elections will be held in the country.
If up until this point, Poland's nationalist-conservative Law and Justice Party has enjoyed the benefit of hegemony over the right-wing camp, in recent months a most problematic competitor has come into being: the "Confederation" coalition, which includes among its members anti-Semitic and homophobic elements that want to pull Poland out of the EU and either execute or imprison labor union leaders.
For the radicals in Poland, the issue of the restitution of Jewish property has been something of a godsend in the run-up to the upcoming elections. In Israel, they could have taken into consideration the delicate situation Poland's ruling party is now in and not played directly into the hands of extremists.
While the rift now seems irreparable, it is precisely when passions are running high that talks for a cease-fire should be held. These talks do not need to be conducted in public and should not focus on merely putting out fires, but rather lay the foundation for a strong relationship between both countries in the future. Warsaw and Jerusalem have a lot to gain from a strong and stable relationship and much to lose from giving in to the populists.
