The diplomatic war between Jerusalem and Warsaw has been escalating in the past week, with new developments unfolding almost on a daily basis. The reason for this recent open war is the approval, first by the Polish parliament and then by Polish President Andrzej Duda, of a bill limiting the ability of Jews to recover property seized by Nazis in Poland during World War II.
The last bitter exchange between the two countries came Aug. 15. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki rejected accusations by Jerusalem that the new legislation was in fact antisemitic. He also expressed anger over the decision by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid to call back Israel’s top diplomat in Warsaw and to avoid sending to Warsaw the newly appointed ambassador. “Israel’s decision to lower the rank of the diplomatic representation in Warsaw is groundless and irresponsible. … If the Israeli government continues to attack Poland in this way, it will also have a very negative impact on our relations, both bilateral and international forums,” said Morawiecki.
