Poland’s double voice on the war in Israel. The position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs caused outrage
– This is not the way to conduct foreign policy – said Jacek Czaputowicz, former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the PiS government. Zbigniew Rau’s predecessor did not hide his outrage after the politician’s statement regarding the war in Israel.
Israel’s tragic war with Hamas has been going on for almost a month, which began after an attack by Palestinian militants. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said that the armed forces are launching attacks from the ground, air and sea to create pressure that will lead to the fall of Hamas terrorists.
According to unofficial reports, soldiers are expected to enter Gaza City within 48 hours. So far, Israeli troops have reached the coast and cut off the northern part of the Gaza Strip, along with the capital, from the rest of the territory. According to preliminary statistics, 1.4 thousand people have died since the beginning of the war. Israelis, and nearly 240 of them were abducted to the Gaza Strip. On the Palestinian side, approximately 10,000 were recorded. victims, including nearly 4,000 kids.
War in Israel. The double voice of Poland
In connection with the dramatic events in the Middle East, the head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in which he stated that “both sides of the conflict in Gaza should immediately cease hostilities and allow the civilian population to safely leave the Gaza Strip.”
These words caused a wave of criticism from Zbigniew Rau’s predecessor. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs in the PiS government – Jacek Czaputowicz – stated in an interview with “Rzeczpospolita” that foreign policy is not conducted this way. Reason? The statement of the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lacked information that Israel was attacked by Hamas, which is contrary to Poland’s position adopted at the UN forum, where we abstained from voting on the resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
– We should avoid actions that may be considered unfavorable towards our allies – said Jacek Czaputowicz. – There are circles in Poland that demand a tough policy towards Ukraine and at the same time call for people not to succumb to Israel’s alleged influence. Minister Rau’s message could have been addressed to them. However, this is not how foreign policy is conducted, he added.
The war in Ukraine is a priority for Poland
The former head of Polish diplomacy found it understandable that none of the Polish decision-makers went to Israel last month, because Poland – unlike Western European countries – has no influence on the politics of the Middle East. He also added that the government is currently on its way out and this is not the time for such initiatives, especially since the priorities of Polish foreign policy are different.
– This is primarily the war in Ukraine. The Hamas attack and Israel’s response diverted the world’s attention from Ukraine. Russia is triumphant for this reason and is trying to take the initiative on the front. This is a very difficult time for Ukrainians. We must do everything so that the West does not abandon them. The advantage is that President Biden treats both conflicts as a threat to the West, he concluded.
