People visiting Auschwitz. Image by Getty

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Poland cancelled a scheduled visit by Israel’s Education Minister Naftali Bennett, after he said he would use the opportunity to tell the Polish people the “truth” about Poland and the Holocaust.

Bennett said that while in Poland he was “determined to say explicitly what history has already proved — the Polish nation had a proven involvement in the murder of Jews during the Holocaust,” Bennett said Monday in announcing his trip that had been planned for later in the week.   “I am going to speak truth, where the truth took place,” he said.

Bennett had been scheduled to speak to Polish students and to meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Higher Education in Poland, Jarosław Gowin, Ynet reported. He was also to meet with Holocaust survivors and Righteous Among the Nations living in Poland. The visit was not coordinated with the Foreign Ministry, Haaretz reported.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Hours after Bennett announced the visit, Poland cancelled the visit, citing Bennett’s remarks.

“The government of Poland canceled my visit, because I mentioned the crimes of its people. I am honored,” Bennett said in a statement, which also was published on his Facebook page along with a photo of a past visit to Auschwitz.

The incident comes amid a standoff between Poland and Israel over legislation passed in both houses of the Polish Parliament which would criminalize rhetoric blaming Poland for Nazi crimes, including calling death camps set up on Polish soil by the Nazis “Polish death camps.” Poland’s president must still sign the legislation into law.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $325,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount