Poland’s Jews fear rise of anti-Semitism

Poland’s Jews have been left ‘psychologically shaken’ by the rise in anti-Semitic acts in Poland following a dispute with Israel over a new Holocaust speech law.

An eruption of anti-Semitic comments in public debates have raised concerns that this could lead to violence against Jews and some have considered fleeing.     

Anna Chipczynska, the head of Warsaw’s Jewish community, said members feel ‘psychologically shaken’ or even ‘depressed.’

She claimed that the hostile rhetoric has triggered hateful phone calls and emails and other harassment.  

Jewish people pray in a synagogue in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday amid the amid the eruption of anti-Semitic rhetoric in mainstream Polish public debate

In recent events, two men tried to urinate in front of Warsaw’s historic Nozyk Synagogue, and then shouted obscenities when security guards intervened.

A woman found the word ‘Zyd’ — Polish for ‘Jew’ — written in the snow outside her home.

As a result of the rise in anti-Semitic acts Agnieszka Ziatek of the Jewish Agency for Israel said she has seen a spike in the number of Polish Jews inquiring about immigrating to Israel.    

Matylda Jonas-Kowalik, 22 claims she is now uncertain of her belief that she would never know the discrimination, persecution or violence against the Polish Jews before her.

The Jewish studies student said that although Poland is her home the situation is making her anxious and she has begun to consider leaving the country.

 An eruption of anti-Semitic comments in public debates have raised concerns that this could lead to violence against Jews and some have considered fleeing

 An eruption of anti-Semitic comments in public debates have raised concerns that this could lead to violence against Jews and some have considered fleeing

Israeli officials have criticised a new Polish bill criminalising the mention of Polish complicity in the Nazi-led genocide.   

They accused Poland of seeking to use the law to whitewash the role of the Poles who helped Germans kill Jews during the war.

However this has been denied by Polish authorities who say they just want to protect the country as being a collaborator of the Nazis.

The Jewish community in Poland is the surviving remnant of a diverse Polish and Yiddish-speaking population that had 3.3 million members before the Holocaust.

Just ten per cent of this community survived the genocide and many of the survivors were later driven out by communist rule.

Israeli officials have criticised a new Polish bill criminalising the mention of Polish complicity in the Nazi-led genocide which has been denied by authorities in Poland, pictured: Auschwitz Birkenau

Israeli officials have criticised a new Polish bill criminalising the mention of Polish complicity in the Nazi-led genocide which has been denied by authorities in Poland, pictured: Auschwitz Birkenau

But following the fall of communism in 1989 Jewish life has flourished with many feeling safe enough in the democracy to embrace their heritage.

Almost thirty years later anxieties are creeping back in amid a global rise in xenophobia that has been felt in Poland.       

A conservative party, Law and Justice, won power in Poland vowing to restore national greatness while also stressing an anti-Muslim, anti-migrant message.     

Amid Israeli criticism, a prominent Polish right-wing commentator used an offensive slur to refer to Jews. 

Rather than being punished, he was welcomed on TV programs, including a state television talk show where he and the host made anti-Jewish comments, including jokes about Jews and gas chambers.        

The current wave of discrimination comes just weeks before the 50th anniversary of an anti-Semitic campaign orchestrated by Poland’s communist regime in March 1968. 

That campaign began with rhetoric eerily similar to the things being said today and ended up with 20,000 Jews forced to relinquish their possessions and their Polish citizenship and flee the country.



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