Some time ago I have written to Australian newspapers about the issue of usage of historically incorrect term “Polish Concentration Camps” instead of Nazi Concentration Camps in occupied by Germans Poland.
Now the Polish government decided to legislate to outlaw the usage of the term “Polish Concentration Camps” which brought strong rebuke from Israeli government and some others.
I find it extremely disappointing to see the current voices that wish to advance inflammatory rhetoric and exaggerated claims about the level of Polish complicity in the holocaust. Such claims only help to feed Polish antisemitism and fuel a vicious cycle of mutual recrimination with Poles advancing claims about the role of Polish-Jewish activists in Wilno in 1920, during the Polish-Soviet war in1921 or about the pro-Soviet sympathies of some Polish Jews between 1918 and 1956. I agree with Prof. Stola that “Those who condemn Poles en masse are the best friends and allies of Polish antisemitism – they feed each other.”
We need to see much more of sensitivity, both from both the Polish and the Jewish sides to continue excellent work done since 1989 to advance Polish-Jewish dialogue and reconciliation. The accusation of Polish State during WWII of cooperation with Nazis is simply a gross falsification of history. Similarly, denials of what has happened in Jedwabne and in some other villages after the Soviet retreat in 1941 as well as numerous cases of betrayal of Jews by individual Poles are falsification of history.
I think it is time to take a deep breath and look for the facts and for what unites Polish and Jewish communities. But perhaps this conflict opened by the recent IPN legislation would be like a storm that will refresh the air and will replace attitudes with facts.