Background analysis: Polish - Israeli Diplomatic Relations post '89

Poland was the first country from the communist bloc to resume diplomatic relations with Israel in 1986. Full diplomatic relations were re-established in 1990, followed by Lech Wałęsa’s visit to Israel only six months after being elected for presidential office in first democratic presidential elections in Eastern Europe. The hosting Prime Minister, Itzhak Shamir at the beginning refused to speak Polish to him, which he knew perfectly, but after a few days he gave up and started reciting to his guest the verses of “Pan Tadeusz” - the Polish national epic.

The second in line to upgrade Polish-Israeli relations after Lech Wałęsa, was Władysław Bartoszewski, who became the foreign minister in 1995. A special committee for relations with Jewish Diaspora was established. An intensified diplomacy between the two states began, more or less with the elections of 2005 and victory of Kaczynski twins’ nationalist party which allied itself with two extreme-right populist groups. Although the coalition was severely criticized domestically and abroad, both President Lech and Prime Minister Jaroslaw stressed the need for good relations with Israel and Jews. Indeed, Jarosław Kaczyński was the first foreign head of state that visited Israel after the II Lebanon War in 2006. In 2007 came the new government of centre-right Civic Platform, with Donald Tusk as a Prime Minister. During his and President Kaczynski’s visit to Israel in 2008, they agreed with Ehud Olmert to upgrade the diplomatic relations between the two countries to the highest, ministerial, level. Tusk also reiterated that Poland is Israel’s best friend in Europe. Olmert and Tusk also inaugurated the Polish Year in Israel, which boasted with dozens of cultural events all across Israel, bringing Israelis closer to the Polish culture. The effects were satisfying – almost 10% of adult Israelis had a contact with Polish culture during this year.

To learn more about the event, click here.

There are quite a few tangible effects of pro-Israeli policy in Poland. First of all, Poland was one of the sponsor countries of abolishing the UN General Assembly “Zionism is Racism” Resolution. Poland was one of the few countries that boycotted Durban II Conference and voted against the Goldstone report. It were Polish MEPs that sponsored the EuroParliament’s motion that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. Polish government actively advocated upgrading the relations between EU and Israel. Polish-Israeli trade value is not so spectacular – the import-export value between the two countries in 2008 amounted between 436mln $ to 700mln $, according to different sources. This makes Israel Poland’s second biggest trade partner in the Middle East, right after UAE.