After Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk referenced “the hell of World War II” while accusing Israeli politicians of causing starvation in Gaza, the Foreign Ministry summoned the Polish envoy for a dressing down.
Ambassador Maciej Hunia was summoned Tuesday “for an official demarche by the head of the Political-Strategic Division, following unacceptable statements made by the prime minister of Poland,” the ministry said in a statement.
The summons happened after Tusk accused Israel on Sunday of starving civilians, part of a large chorus of world leaders decrying widespread reports of hunger and deaths from malnutrition in Gaza.
“Poland was, is, and will be on Israel’s side in its confrontation with Islamic terrorism, but never on the side of politicians whose actions lead to hunger and the death of mothers and children,” Tusk posted on X in Polish. “This must be obvious to nations that together went through the hell of World War II.”
Tusk is not the first European leader to accuse Israel of committing atrocities. Ireland, Belgium and Spain, for example, have joined the case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
But his allusion to the Holocaust carries particular weight because he leads the country where, 80 years ago, millions of Jews were murdered in the Nazi death camps and massacres. In recent years, Warsaw has also engaged in what critics call an effort to silence accusations of Polish complicity in the Holocaust, passing a law that banned blaming the Polish nation for the Nazi genocide. In 2021 it also essentially stopped future restitution to the heirs of property seized by the Nazis.
Israel has staunchly denied that it is committing genocide in Gaza and said it follows international law. It has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
“Israel firmly rejects these accusations and expects Poland to refrain from using language that distorts history and dishonors the memory of Holocaust victims,” the Foreign Ministry’s statement read. “The head of the Division emphasized that Israel is fighting a terrorist organization that openly seeks the murder of Jews and Israelis, and the destruction of Israel.”
Israel has also denied that there is mass starvation in the enclave, and accuses the United Nations and Hamas, respectively, of impeding and stealing humanitarian aid. Facing international pressure, Israel recently took several steps to increase the flow of supplies into the territory.
“Israel acts under international humanitarian law and has significantly expanded its humanitarian aid efforts — including the entry of additional aid convoys into the Gaza Strip, humanitarian pauses, the opening of safe passage routes for aid delivery, infrastructure repairs, and airdrops of humanitarian supplies — including coordination with the European Union,” adds the ministry.
Poland has been one of the most pro-Israel countries in Europe, and in response to Tusk’s post on X, the Foreign Ministry posted that the Polish leader was “linking his timely condemnation of Hamas with an unacceptable reference to politicians, accompanied by a reminder of the horrible days of World War II.”
It encouraged the premier to “remember the lesson of ‘Never Again,'” referencing the Holocaust remembrance slogan.
“Never Again… applies to our era’s new Nazis and their collaborators, Hamas. Israel acts within international law. When Poland is threatened, you don’t take risks either,” wrote the ministry.
Hunia, who started his term as ambassador last year, has in the past repeatedly rejected the claim that Israel is committing genocide.
“Genocide is a crime committed with willingness to commit it,” Hunia, a 63-year-old former top intelligence official, said last year.
“War is a brutal thing always,” said Hunia. “Not very nice. And there are also collateral damages when you struggle. So I’m absolutely sure that the Israeli army is not planning out operations which are going to kill innocent people.”