Netanyahu 'collaboration' remarks rock ties with Poland

By Mustafa Deveci

JERUSALEM

Remarks by Israel’s prime minister on Polish collaboration with the Nazis are rattling relations between Tel Aviv and Warsaw.

According to Israeli media, Anna Azari, Israel’s ambassador to Warsaw, was summoned Friday by Poland’s Foreign Ministry for the clarification of the remarks.

Benjamin Netanyahu's comments -- which reportedly said “Poles cooperated with the Nazis” -- came during his visit to Warsaw on Wednesday and Thursday for a conference on the Middle East.

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki both criticized the remarks.

“If Prime Minister Netanyahu’s remarks are as media reports say …. Israel is no longer a good place for Group meetings,” Duda said, referring to the meeting next Monday and Tuesday in Jerusalem.

The Visegrad Group is a cultural and political alliance of Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Duda suggested Poland could host the meeting instead.

Morawiecki said Poland was also among the victims of Nazi Germany, adding: “During World War II, 6 million Poles were murdered, including many Polish-origin Jews.”

Israel hosting the Visegrad meeting is part of Netanyahu’s efforts to forge closer ties with Eastern European countries amid rising international pressure against its policy towards the Palestinians.