President Rivlin began his official visit to Poland by meeting with his host, President Andrzej Duda. At the end of their meeting, the two gave statements to the press
President Rivlin:
“History, along with the terrible events that happened here on this ground, connect the Jewish people and the State of Israel in an unbreakable bond with Poland and the Polish people. This is a bond that looks to the future from an unshakeable commitment to the memory of the facts of the past. This is a bond that must sanctify the purity of history, to leave the work of historical research to historians and experts.”
President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin today, Monday 27 January / 1 Shevat, landed in Krakow, Poland and immediately made his way to a working meeting with President Andrzej Duda of Poland during which he invited President Duda to visit Jerusalem soon. On arrival, President Rivlin laid a wreath at the memorial to Witold Pilecki, a hero of the Second World War and the fight against the Nazis. Pilecki, a leader of the Polish underground, volunteered to be imprisoned at Auschwitz in order to gather intelligence and later escaped from the camp. During the wreath-laying ceremony, the president met Pilecki’s daughter. He was then received by the Polish president and the two met in private. Others then joined the meeting which dealt with advancing bilateral relations.
During their meeting, President Rivlin expressed his sorrow that relations between the countries had been harmed by political intervention in questions of history and stressed that this should be a matter for historians and experts, and that leaders should preserve and maintain relations between states and peoples. The president also thanked the President of Poland for his commitment to the fight against antisemitism, his remarks on Holocaust remembrance and his relations with the Jewish community. President Rivlin expressed his hopes that their meeting and participating together in the ceremony at Auschwitz would help rebuild bridges between the two peoples. During their meeting, the president said that bilateral relations in the field of tourism and economy are booming and that academic and scientific relations are strengthening.
The two presidents talked about the situation in the Middle East and President Rivlin noted the need for a clear and determined position against Iranian aggression. He also expressed his wish that regional cooperation would deepen in line with the fruitful security cooperation. After their meeting, the two gave statements to the press.
“There is no substitute for International Holocaust Remembrance Day at Auschwitz,” said the president at the beginning of his remarks to the press. “There is no substitute for this ceremony, which includes the promise never to forget.”
“We remember that Poland and the Polish people are victims of the Second World War. We remember over one million Jews were exterminated at Auschwitz, with thousands of Roma and Sinti. And we remember the tens of thousands of Poles exterminated at Auschwitz. We remember that Nazi Germany initiated, planned and implemented the genocide of the Jewish people in Poland and other places and that it takes full responsibility for its actions. And we also remember, with distress, that significant assistance came from across all of Europe, and that also demands the taking of responsibility
The president added, “We will forever sanctify the courage of the Righteous Among the Nations, including thousands of Poles, who risked their lives to save Jews. But we will also remember and remind that these noble people were too few, weaker than Nazi Germany who made Poland the largest site of extermination of Jews. Poland, the place where the Jewish people flourished for centuries, became its biggest cemetery. We remember that during the war the Polish people fought with courage and strength against Nazi Germany. But we also remember that many Poles stood by and even assisted in the murder of Jews.”
He continued, “The splendid history of Jews in Poland, the success the Jewish community here enjoyed throughout history, along with the terrible events that happened here on this ground, connect the Jewish people and the State of Israel in an unbreakable bond with Poland and the Polish people. This is a bond that looks to the future from an unshakeable commitment to the memory of the facts of the past. This is a bond that must sanctify the purity of history, to leave the work of historical research to historians and experts from Israel Poland and other countries who research the Holocaust, and let political leaders take responsibility for shaping the present and the future.”
The president called for an uncompromising fight against antisemitism, saying, “This is the time, today, to look at the antisemitism and racism which are raising their heads again and threaten to undermine our democratic foundations. We hear the voices of hate today on the internet, in the streets and in political life. It is happening across Europe, across the world.”
He concluded his remarks with hopes for a shared future, inviting the Polish president to visit Jerusalem and saying, “We reach out to the Polish people today and ask to once again work together to form the futures of the next generation, respecting history and inspired by values of peace, justice, tolerance and partnership. Mr President, I invite you to visit Jerusalem for discussions that will strengthen our relations and the important cooperation between our countries, relations we have been building with skill for 30 years. Our relations are multi-faceted, vitally important and contribute to both sides. May the memories of our brothers and sisters, and the memories of all victims of Nazism, be engraved in the heart of the nation.”
President Duda of Poland thanked President Rivlin for meeting, saying, “I thank the president for coming to Poland and for the meeting we held, during which we discussed Polish-Israeli relations. Thank you for coming to the ceremony to mark 75 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. This is an important moment in world history. I am particularly moved by the fact that nearly 200 survivors of Auschwitz have come here, and the museum here is proof of what happened here and a warning to the whole world. The Jewish people underwent the terrible Holocaust and International Holocaust Remembrance Day allows us to remember that. Thank you again, Mr President, for being here. This is additional proof of our opposition to all forms of antisemitism and racism.
Duda commented on his absence from the ceremony at Yad Vashem and said that in his view, “Polish participation in the epic fight against the Nazis was ignored,” and so he could not take part. “I want to stress that the Poles fought for the liberty of the entire world and many Polish citizens fell in the battle for liberty in the war against the Nazis. Our fallen are etched in the annals of Polish history and we remember and honor them and expect others to do the same.”
President Rivlin began his official visit to Poland by meeting with his host, President Andrzej Duda. At the end of their meeting, the two gave statements to the press
President Rivlin:
“History, along with the terrible events that happened here on this ground, connect the Jewish people and the State of Israel in an unbreakable bond with Poland and the Polish people. This is a bond that looks to the future from an unshakeable commitment to the memory of the facts of the past. This is a bond that must sanctify the purity of history, to leave the work of historical research to historians and experts.”
President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin today, Monday 27 January / 1 Shevat, landed in Krakow, Poland and immediately made his way to a working meeting with President Andrzej Duda of Poland during which he invited President Duda to visit Jerusalem soon. On arrival, President Rivlin laid a wreath at the memorial to Witold Pilecki, a hero of the Second World War and the fight against the Nazis. Pilecki, a leader of the Polish underground, volunteered to be imprisoned at Auschwitz in order to gather intelligence and later escaped from the camp. During the wreath-laying ceremony, the president met Pilecki’s daughter. He was then received by the Polish president and the two met in private. Others then joined the meeting which dealt with advancing bilateral relations.
During their meeting, President Rivlin expressed his sorrow that relations between the countries had been harmed by political intervention in questions of history and stressed that this should be a matter for historians and experts, and that leaders should preserve and maintain relations between states and peoples. The president also thanked the President of Poland for his commitment to the fight against antisemitism, his remarks on Holocaust remembrance and his relations with the Jewish community. President Rivlin expressed his hopes that their meeting and participating together in the ceremony at Auschwitz would help rebuild bridges between the two peoples. During their meeting, the president said that bilateral relations in the field of tourism and economy are booming and that academic and scientific relations are strengthening.
The two presidents talked about the situation in the Middle East and President Rivlin noted the need for a clear and determined position against Iranian aggression. He also expressed his wish that regional cooperation would deepen in line with the fruitful security cooperation. After their meeting, the two gave statements to the press.
“There is no substitute for International Holocaust Remembrance Day at Auschwitz,” said the president at the beginning of his remarks to the press. “There is no substitute for this ceremony, which includes the promise never to forget.”
“We remember that Poland and the Polish people are victims of the Second World War. We remember over one million Jews were exterminated at Auschwitz, with thousands of Roma and Sinti. And we remember the tens of thousands of Poles exterminated at Auschwitz. We remember that Nazi Germany initiated, planned and implemented the genocide of the Jewish people in Poland and other places and that it takes full responsibility for its actions. And we also remember, with distress, that significant assistance came from across all of Europe, and that also demands the taking of responsibility
The president added, “We will forever sanctify the courage of the Righteous Among the Nations, including thousands of Poles, who risked their lives to save Jews. But we will also remember and remind that these noble people were too few, weaker than Nazi Germany who made Poland the largest site of extermination of Jews. Poland, the place where the Jewish people flourished for centuries, became its biggest cemetery. We remember that during the war the Polish people fought with courage and strength against Nazi Germany. But we also remember that many Poles stood by and even assisted in the murder of Jews.”
He continued, “The splendid history of Jews in Poland, the success the Jewish community here enjoyed throughout history, along with the terrible events that happened here on this ground, connect the Jewish people and the State of Israel in an unbreakable bond with Poland and the Polish people. This is a bond that looks to the future from an unshakeable commitment to the memory of the facts of the past. This is a bond that must sanctify the purity of history, to leave the work of historical research to historians and experts from Israel Poland and other countries who research the Holocaust, and let political leaders take responsibility for shaping the present and the future.”
The president called for an uncompromising fight against antisemitism, saying, “This is the time, today, to look at the antisemitism and racism which are raising their heads again and threaten to undermine our democratic foundations. We hear the voices of hate today on the internet, in the streets and in political life. It is happening across Europe, across the world.”
He concluded his remarks with hopes for a shared future, inviting the Polish president to visit Jerusalem and saying, “We reach out to the Polish people today and ask to once again work together to form the futures of the next generation, respecting history and inspired by values of peace, justice, tolerance and partnership. Mr President, I invite you to visit Jerusalem for discussions that will strengthen our relations and the important cooperation between our countries, relations we have been building with skill for 30 years. Our relations are multi-faceted, vitally important and contribute to both sides. May the memories of our brothers and sisters, and the memories of all victims of Nazism, be engraved in the heart of the nation.”
President Duda of Poland thanked President Rivlin for meeting, saying, “I thank the president for coming to Poland and for the meeting we held, during which we discussed Polish-Israeli relations. Thank you for coming to the ceremony to mark 75 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. This is an important moment in world history. I am particularly moved by the fact that nearly 200 survivors of Auschwitz have come here, and the museum here is proof of what happened here and a warning to the whole world. The Jewish people underwent the terrible Holocaust and International Holocaust Remembrance Day allows us to remember that. Thank you again, Mr President, for being here. This is additional proof of our opposition to all forms of antisemitism and racism.
Duda commented on his absence from the ceremony at Yad Vashem and said that in his view, “Polish participation in the epic fight against the Nazis was ignored,” and so he could not take part. “I want to stress that the Poles fought for the liberty of the entire world and many Polish citizens fell in the battle for liberty in the war against the Nazis. Our fallen are etched in the annals of Polish history and we remember and honor them and expect others to do the same.”
