Does Poland have problems with anti-semitism?

Question

My politics lecturer, in a lecture on asylum, spoke of the "appallingly anti-semitic nature of Poland".

Is this fair? Or is it unfair? Certainly in the past there have been problems with anti-semitism in Poland, but perhaps the situation has improved?

What do you think?

By the way, I'm not being anti-Polish here. I'm English, there are a fair few Polish folks in England, and I like them.

Thanks in advance for any answers.

Answer 1

In all likelihood, yes.

Marxism and National Socialism were full of anti-semitism, more based on classism than religious bias, but nonetheless, this was the case.

Poland was, unfortunately, rolled over at various times by both Russia and Germany and the anti-semitic background in both cultures would surely have left an impression in Poland.

Whether this is dissipating more slowly in Poland than in Germany or Russia, I don't know.

It all goes to show that class warfare can be a very ugly thing and represents the lowest of human impulses.

Answer 2

I don't think it's particularly fair.  Your lecturer's statement reflects an antiquated perception of the attitudes of Polish people.  Much of Europe held anti-Jewish prejudices before WWII, not just Poland, but it seems that Poland has been stuck with this label.  The only grounds that I can see for it are the policies of Poland's communist rulers during the late 1960s, when anti-semitism was used as a terror tool and the government legislated against Jewish schools and organisations

Today I think it's only certain older Polish people who may harbour some sort of anti-Jewish sentiment, but even then it's probably only with regard to petty matters and not to the extent that they'd participate in a pogrom or anything.  With younger generations such prejudices are quickly becoming irrelevant, as there are so few Jews now living in Poland to begin with, and the government is no longer inciting racist views in it's people.

So I'd say anti-semitism has no place in mainstream Polish society today.

Answer 3

VERY VERY FAIR

Answer 4

This is not really fair. Of course you will find people with antisemitic views in Poland as you can find in every country in the world, I guess. But it is just a small fraction of 38 mln people living in Poland. Especially if you have a look at older generations they may still have some prejudices about Jews - people who lived in communist Poland just after the war still remember that a lot of members of very cruel communist secret police operating in Poland in 40s and 50s were of Jewish origin. Also there is a very loud but small organization of catholic extremists, who are not dangerous but say a lot of antisemitic things in their radio station ("Radio Maryja").

But among young people there are no prejudices and definitely no antisemitism, maybe except for some small extremist groups, which are really marginal. Public expression of antisemitic views or denying the Holocoust is a crime in Poland.

One more thing, regarding our painful history: Poland is the place where the biggest tragedy of the mankind happened (Holocaust), but please remember that it was n**i Germans, not Poles, who built and operated death camps on the Polish soil.

Answer 5

I don't think so any more, there are hardly any jews in Poland.

I've to Poland 12+ times never heard any thing anti-Semitic.

Now if we were talking about Iran etc, please remember a lot of what these politics lecturers say is idealism and biased. Not based in the real world.

Answer 6

There is a problem with neo-nazism in Poland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/...

I worked in a pub with a Pole who was a proud, self confessed n**i.  He had swastikas tattooed up his arms.  He refused to serve black customers (would mutter "you can serve the monkey, I won't do it") and would keep on and on about why the UK didn't "expel all the blacks and asians".  He seemed to think he should be welcome here with his countrymen as they were white.

He also hated Jews and g*y people.  Nasty little bigot.