Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki has cancelled a trip to Israel following alleged comments on the Holocaust by Israeli counterpart Binyamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu was quoted in Israeli media as saying “Poles co-operated with the Germans” during the Holocaust.
He later issued a clarification saying he was not referring to the Polish nation or all Polish people. Poland summoned the Israeli ambassador and said Morawiecki would not attend a summit.
The meeting, hosted by Israel, is of the Visegrad Group that represents the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
Polish government spokesperson Joanna Kopcinska said: “Prime Minister Morawiecki told Prime Minister Netanyahu in a telephone call that Poland will be represented at the summit by Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.”
Netanyahu was on a state visit to Poland on Thursday when his comments were reported in Israeli media, including Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post.
The Jerusalem Post said its version used the term “Polish nation”, which it said it quickly amended.
Netanyahu’s office issued a clarification, saying: “In a briefing, PM Netanyahu spoke of Poles and not the Polish people or the country of Poland.”
