Israel–Poland relations

Israel-Poland relations

Israel
Poland

Israel–Poland relations comprise diplomatic relations between Israel and Poland. At least 220,000 Israeli citizens are of Polish-Jewish origin.[1] Both countries are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the United Nations.

History

Israel Israel Poland Poland
Populations 8,702,780 38,433,600
Area 20,770/22,072 km² (8,019/8,522 sq mi) 312,679 km² (120,726 sq mi)
Population density 359/km² (930/sq mi) 123/km² (318.6/sq mi)
Capital Jerusalem Warsaw
Largest city Jerusalem Warsaw
Government Unitary parliamentary republic Unitary semi-presidential republic
First Leader David Ben-Gurion Mieszko I
Current Leader Benjamin Netanyahu Andrzej Duda
Official languages Hebrew Polish
Main religions 75% Judaism, 18% Islam 88% Roman Catholic, 2% irreligious, 1% other faiths
Currency Israeli new shekel (₪) Polish złoty (zł)
GDP (nominal) $348,000 billion ($40,000 per capita) $614,000 billion ($16,000 per capita)
GDP (PPP) $316,000 billion ($36,000 per capita) $1.193 trillion ($31,000 per capita)
Military expenditures $15.209 billion (6.5% of GDP) $12.2 billion (2% of GDP)

Beginning in the late 900s CE, Poland became host to what was to become, until the 1940s, the largest Jewish community in Europe. In World War II and the Jewish genocide perpetrated by Germany, much of Poland's Jewish community was destroyed, and many surviving Polish Jews emigrated to other countries, including some 70,000 who moved to Israel.[2]

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 recognized, and established diplomatic relations with, Israel.[3] In May 1948 Polish-born David Ben-Gurion became the new country's first prime minister. In September 1948 Israel opened its first diplomatic mission in Warsaw.[2]

Israeli Air Force jets flying over Auschwitz concentration camp, 2003.

In June 1967, after the Six-Day War, Poland joined the Soviet-controlled Eastern Bloc in severing diplomatic relations with Israel.[3] In 1986 Poland initiated contacts with Israel. The two countries soon opened interest offices in each other's capitals, and in 1988 an Israel-Poland Chamber of Commerce was established.[4] 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 resumed diplomatic relations. During his visit, Peres met with Polish President Wojciech Jaruzelski and Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki.[5] Full diplomatic relations were restored on 27 February 1990, leading to expanded political, military, economic, and cultural cooperation between the two countries.[3] In May 1991 Polish President Lech Wałęsa paid a visit to Israel.[6]

In 2010 an Israeli Mossad agent carrying a forged German passport was arrested at Warsaw Chopin Airport. He was wanted in connection with the assassination, in Dubai in January 2010, of a senior Hamas official, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, The Mossad agent was deported to Germany for trial.[7]

In February 2015 Poland and Israel celebrated 25 years of re-established diplomatic relations between them.[8]

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".[9][10][11] The law sparked a crisis in Polish-Israeli relations.[12] 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."[13][14] His remark prompted much controversy, and condemnation by prominent Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[15][16][17] 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".[18]

State visits

Presidential and Prime Ministerial visits from Israel to Poland[19][20][21][22][23][24][25]
Presidential and Prime Ministerial visits from Poland to Israel[2][26][27][28][29][30]

Bilateral relations

Over the years, both Israel and Poland have signed numerous bilateral agreements such as 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).[31]

There are regular flights between Israel and Poland with the following airlines: Arkia, El Al, Enter Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Ryanair, Travel Service and Wizz Air

Trade

In 1995, Israel signed an Association Agreement with the European Union which includes free trade and came into affect in 2000.[32] In 2004, Poland joined the European Union and trades freely with Israel. In 2016, trade between Israel and the European Union totaled €34.3 billion Euros[33] of which trade between Israel and Poland totaled $682 million USD.[33] 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.[33]

Resident diplomatic missions

See also

References

  1. ↑ Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics
  2. 1 2 3 History of Relations
  3. 1 2 3 Cooperation between Poland and Israel
  4. ↑ Israel-Poland Chamber of Commerce
  5. ↑ Peres visit could restore Polish-Israeli ties
  6. ↑ Walesa, In Israel, Regrets Poland’s Anti-Semitism
  7. ↑ Israel forced to defend 'Mossad spy' arrested in Poland
  8. ↑ 25th anniversary of the resumption of Polish-Israeli diplomatic relations
  9. ↑ Israel and Poland try to tamp down tensions after Poland’s ‘death camp’ law sparks Israeli outrage, Washington Post, 28 January 2018
  10. ↑ Israel and Poland clash over proposed Holocaust law, Reuters, 28 January 2018
  11. ↑ The Controversy Around Poland’s Proposed Ban on the Term “Polish Death Camps”, Smithsonian.com, 29 January 2018
  12. ↑ News, ABC. "The Latest: Party head: Israel confirms Polish view on Nazis". ABC News. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  13. ↑ ""Jewish perpetrators" remark reignites Poland Holocaust dispute". CBS News. 19 February 2018.
  14. ↑ "Statements by Mateusz Morawiecki and Sebastian Kurz". www.securityconference.de. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  15. ↑ ""Jewish perpetrators" remark reignites Poland Holocaust dispute". Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  16. ↑ "Benjamin Netanyahu attacks Polish PM for saying Jews were among perpetrators of the Holocaust". The Independent. 18 February 2018.
  17. ↑ "Polish Embassy in Israel Vandalized After Polish PM's Controversial Remarks". VOA News. 18 February 2018.
  18. ↑ "The Latest: Party Head: Israel Confirms Polish View on Nazis". Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  19. ↑ Herzog Unveils Memorial Stone in Emotional Visit to Auschwitz
  20. ↑ Gore Congratulates Poland on its Democracy
  21. ↑ Israeli PM Ariel Sharon Visits Auschwitz Nazi Death Camp
  22. ↑ President Katsav visits Poland
  23. ↑ Peres in Poland
  24. ↑ Netanyahu, in Poland, calls for peace talks ‘without delay’
  25. ↑ President Rivlin begins official visit to Poland
  26. ↑ Address by Aleksander Kwaśniewski
  27. ↑ Polish President Lech Kaczyński visits Israel
  28. ↑ Official visit of the President of Poland (Komorowski) to Israel
  29. ↑ Polish PM Involved in Motor Vehicle Accident in Israel
  30. ↑ Jerusalem, Warsaw seek enhanced ties as Polish President visits Israel
  31. ↑ Bilateral Agreements between Israel and Poland
  32. ↑ Israel - Trade - European Commission
  33. 1 2 3 OEC: Poland
  34. ↑ Embassy of Israel in Warsaw
  35. ↑ Embassy of Poland in Tel Aviv
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