The European Jewish Congress (EJC) has expressed its grave concerns about the deteriorating relationship between the Polish Government and the Jewish community, especially as recent events in Poland demonstrates that antisemitism is on the rise there.

“We have seen a dramatic rise in recent antisemitic incidents in Poland, which appear to have coincided with the Polish Government closing its communications with the official representatives of the Jewish community,” Dr. Moshe Kantor, President of the EJC, said. “Across Europe, governments consult with the local official leaders of the community to seek their counsel and coordinate a response to antisemitism. However, Poland stands out as an example of a leadership which appears to have little interest in opening a dialogue with the Jewish community.”

For around a year, no senior Polish government minister has met with the leadership of Union of Jewish Communities in Poland, the democratically-representative organization of Polish Jewry.

Some of the recent rise in antisemitism that appears to have permeated many layers of Polish society include, during a public debate when Polish Television journalist Magdalena Ogórek pointed out the Jewish roots of the ancestors of Senator Marek Borowski, fascist slogans and flags of ONR Falanga regularly displayed at state ceremonies, and member of parliament Bogdan Rzońca from Prawo i Sprawiedliwość writing on social media “I wonder why, despite the Holocaust, there are so many abortionists among Jews.”

“We hope the Polish leadership will restart engagement with the Jewish community and condemn antisemitism in all its forms,” Dr. Kantor said. “There has been a distinct normalization of antisemitism, racism and xenophobia in Poland recently and we hope that the Polish Government will stem this hate and act forcefully against it.”

“Minority rights, respect for the rule of law and commitment to fighting antisemitism and racism lie at the heart of the values of post-War reconstruction of Europe and learning the lessons of the Shoah.” Kantor concluded.

Poland’s chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, said Jews still feel much safer in Poland than they do in parts of Europe where anti-Semitism is much stronger and sometimes violent, including France, Scandinavia and Hungary. But he said the situation is getting worse and “the biggest concern is a lack of communication with the government.”

“For first time in many years people are not feeling 100 percent comfortable, as they used to,” Schudrich told The Associated Press on Thursday. “It’s not that the government supports this but we need it to be more vigilant in articulating their rejection of any form of anti-Semitism or racism.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)