Polish‑Jewish portal Jad Waszem has insisted that the 1939 decree obliging Jews in Poland to wear the Star of David was issued by German authorities, a claim that has drawn criticism from Israel’s ambassador and Polish officials.
Jad Waszem’s Claim About the 1939 Decree
The portal released a post saying the 1939 decree requiring Polish Jews to wear a Star of David on their shoulders was issued by German authorities. It linked to an article confirming that the decree came from German officials. Jad Waszem reiterated the claim in a second statement, stressing that the link makes it clear the order was German.
Israeli Ambassador Summoned to Polish Ministry
Israeli Ambassador Jaakow Finkelstein appeared at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday morning. He was called in by the Foreign Ministry’s head, Radosław Sikorski, after the portal’s post. Polish Radio spokesperson Maciej Wiewiór noted that the ambassador took a stance of “understanding.”
Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Criticises the Post
The spokesperson said the “Jad Waszem” portal holds a very responsible role and expects careful handling of historical facts. The Polish FM reiterated that the portal’s first and subsequent posts “are historically correct” and that those who continue to misinterpret the post do so consciously.
Institute’s Follow‑up Clarification
Last week the Jad Waszem Institute in Jerusalem posted on X that Poland was the first country to introduce bracelets for Jews. This sparked controversy because historians had not clarified that during World War II Poland was under German occupation and that the marking decision was imposed by the Germans. A subsequent post added that “this happened at the behest of German authorities.”
Reactions from Polish Politicians
Prime Minister Donald Tusk labeled the post as a compromise and suggested the author might have acted with malicious intent. Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz said the claims were untrue and that humiliating policies against Jews were introduced by the occupiers – the Third Reich and the Soviet Union. He called for the post to be corrected.
