Poland slams ‘outrageous’ remarks by Israeli envoy over aid worker’s death

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday denounced “outrageous” remarks by the Israeli ambassador to Warsaw over the death of a Polish aid worker in an Israeli strike in Gaza.

The airstrike on Monday killed seven staff of the US-based food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK), including 35-year-old Polish citizen, Damian Sobol.

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Israeli ambassador Yacov Livne gave an interview late Wednesday in which he stopped short of apologising for the incident despite being repeatedly asked to do so.

Duda on Thursday called his remarks “not very fortunate, in short, outrageous,” adding that “the ambassador is the biggest problem for the state of Israel in its relations with Poland“.

The deadly strike in Gaza reignited tensions between the two nations that have seen a number of diplomatic rows over the past years, notably on Holocaust history and remembrance.

Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II and lost six million citizens including three million Jews.

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Polish officials have warned the Israeli strike that killed the relief workers was likely to increase anti-Semitism in Poland.

“If the ambassador decides to make public appearances in our media, he should use this opportunity to offer a simple, human apology,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday.

The Israeli envoy was summoned for talks Friday at the Polish foreign ministry to discuss Israel’s “responsibility” for the aid worker’s death.

Polish authorities have called for Israel to provide compensation to the victim’s family.

“Compensation by the Israeli state should simply be paid for the sake of decency, for the sake of principles,” Duda said.

© Agence France-Presse