Even for a nation quite used to dramatic news, what happened within the span of four days – from Shabbat morning to Tuesday evening – came as a shock to Israelis.
Antisemitism is hard to discern in the present xenophobic and anti-immigrant public mood, but Italian Jewry, basing its judgment on bitter past experience, remains wary of the voters’ dramatic switch.
We are experiencing the most serious crisis in Polish-Israeli and Polish-Jewish relations since the collapse of Communism in Poland in 1989. While the Polish Jewish community is at the center of this maelstrom, its voice is not considered enough in the discourse.
One day, I fear, what is currently happening in Polish-Israeli and Polish-Jewish relations will become a case study for universities and diplomatic academies around the world in how an outwardly strong partnership can unravel practically overnight.
Poland, the country where I was born and where I live and work today, has suddenly found itself at the center of a major internal and international crisis that is deeply rooted in historical tragedy, competing narratives and questions of identity.