Israel to Resume Holocaust Education Trips to Poland

By Hamodia Staff

YERUSHALAYIM — Outgoing education minister Yifat Shasha-Biton revealed on Sunday that the dispute with Poland over student Holocaust education trips, which had caused their cancellation, was nearing resolution.

At a changeover ceremony, Shasha-Biton told her successor Yoav Kisch that the matter is expected to be finalized in the next few days, according to The Times of Israel.

“I have a surprise for you,” Shasha-Biton informed Kisch. “Over recent months we have worked together with the Shin Bet [security service] regarding disputes over content and security on trips to Poland, and we have resolved the content issue.”

She added that in the coming days, officials hope to solve the security issues as well.

“I expect that in the near future the efforts will bear fruit and the [high school] groups will be able to go on trips again,” Shasha-Biton said.

There was no comment from the Foreign Ministry on the announcement.

Israel in June canceled educational trips to Poland for thousands of high school students, saying at the time that the Polish government was trying to control the Holocaust studies curriculum being taught on the trips.

The Polish government also refused to allow Shin Bet agents escorting the students to carry weapons while on its soil, which it had permitted in previous years, according to a report by the Walla news site.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski posted on Twitter at the time that “the current formula of organized trips of Israeli youth to Poland requires changes due to systematic problems leading to the strengthening of false stereotypes, which negatively impacts Polish-Israeli relations.”

The dispute came amid diplomatic tensions between Israel and Poland over the latter’s insistence that Poland has been unfairly accused of taking part in crimes against the Jews during the Holocaust. Israeli officials accused the Polish government of attempting to rewrite history.