Chairman of the Knesset Education Committee (Shas) MK Yaakov Margi on Monday, 13 Shevat, called for the cessation of trips to Poland, a request made following Poland’s Lower House passing a law prohibiting mention of Poland’s complicity in the death of Polish Jewry during WWII.

During a recent committee session, Margi spoke out, calling for an end to the annual school groups taken to Poland, explaining from his point of view, the 17-year-old participants are not of the correct age for such a program, a program which he feels only serves to widen the gaps between sectors in Israel.

In the meantime, Education Minister Bennet announced that in view of the Polish bill, the lesson plans on the involvement of the local population, including Poland, will be extended to the Holocaust.

Bennet said that “it is a historical fact that many Poles helped murder Jews, informed, extradited, murdered themselves Jews during and after the Holocaust.” The term “Polish extermination camps” is not accurate, since these are German extermination camps on Polish soil. Ignore the fact that there are quite a few Poles who collaborated with the Nazis – and we must make sure that Israeli students know the reality as it happened.

“I have instructed the education system to devote two hours this week to studying the subject,” he added.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)