Polish far-right nationalists call for ‘Jew-free’ country
Tens of thousands of far-right nationalists chanted calls for a “Jew-free” Poland as they marched through the streets of Warsaw on Saturday to mark 99 years since the country was re-established as an independent nation.
Saturday’s Polish Independence Day march. Credit: YouTube
During the march—the largest Polish Independence Day event in years—far-right demonstrators were heard chanting “Pure Poland, Jew-free Poland,” and “Jews out of Poland,” while carrying banners with slogans such as “White Europe of brotherly nations.”
The annual nationalist march was met with smaller counter-protests.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry urged the Polish government to “take action against the organisers” of the march.
“This is a dangerous march instigated by extremists and racists….History teaches us that we must act against hatred and racism as quickly and as determinedly as possibly,” the ministry stated.
In mid-September, the head of Poland’s right-wing nationalist Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, denounced antisemitism and lauded the “great state” of Israel during a ceremony commemorating Polish citizens who protected the country’s Jews during the Holocaust.
In his remarks, Kaczynski characterised antisemitism as “very dangerous” and commended Israel for its “power of spirit, power of the mind, determination and courage.” Kaczynski’s statements came after Polish-Jewish leaders called on the politician to denounce rising antisemitism within the country.
JNS.org
Who could explain to me why Jews still live in Poland? They number according my information between 4 to 5000 in a population of over 42 million.
Its interesting that in Europe most of the rise of far right politics has occurred in former Communist run Eastern Europe.