Israeli foreign minister: appointment of Polish ambassador to Israel will allow resumption of the ongoing diplomatic work

Holocaust education trips for Israeli students to Poland had been suspended back in 2022 over the fact that armed guards accompanied the students on the trips.

"Poland is preparing to almost immediately accept organised groups of Israeli young people according to the standards of Polish law and the new agreement," Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said at a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen.

Rau also expressed his satisfaction that the Israeli side accepted Poland's point of view regarding safety measures needed to organize visits of young Israeli people. He stressed that presence of armed Israeli guards was unnecessary and that Polish security would suffice.

According to the new agreement, from now on, the country hosting education visits of the youth will bear the responsibility for providing security.

"This is an important moment in the relations between our countries and, I dare say, even between our nations. A moment that - without cynicism - has an element of history. I'm pleased that we signed an agreement that will allow the immediate resumption of the youth delegation to Poland," Cohen said.

"The appointment of an ambassador to Israel will allow resumption of the ongoing diplomatic work that is required in the face of the challenges before us," the Israeli minister added.

Bilateral relations between Israel and Poland had soured after the latter country introduced a law in 2021 which makes it more difficult for Jews to recover property lost in WWII.

Presidents of Israel and Poland, Isaac Herzog and Andrzej Duda, had agreed in July 2022 to restore strained relations between the two countries.

"President Herzog, in a joint initiative with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, requested the return of the ambassador of Poland. President Duda agreed that the Polish ambassador should be appointed soon," said a statement published by Polish and Israeli presidential websites. "Both presidents expressed their hope that any future issues between Poland and Israel will be solved through sincere and open dialogue and in a spirit of mutual respect. It was agreed that relations would be restored to their proper course," the statement added.