Polish President slams World Holocaust Forum organizers for 'distorting history'
Polish President Andrzej Duda is convinced that his decision to boycott this year’s World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem was correct. He also reproached the event’s organizers for “distorting history” and ignoring the role of Poland and Poles in World War II, Gazeta Prawna reports.
Duda drew attention to the fact that the films shown at the forum did not include any statements made by Poles. He also pointed out that he, as the president of the country whose invasion by Nazi Germany started WWII, was not even offered a chance to speak.
The Polish president remarked that Polish soldiers fought side by side with the allied forces in the anti-Hitler coalition.
“All of this was omitted… This confirms once again that I made the right decision… Because, if I had been there, it would have been hard for me to endure the situation. And I would have had to endure it in silence, because I was not given a chance to speak,” Duda explained.
Duda refused to fly to Jerusalem for the World Holocaust Forum because he was not given a chance to speak at it. On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin was considered one of the most important guests at the event. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda also chose not to attend.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did fly to Israel, even though he was not given a chance to speak either. However, after arriving in Jerusalem, the Ukrainian delegation gave their places in the Yad Vashem hall to Holocaust survivors.
The expediency of Zelensky’s trip to Israel was questioned by Ukraine’s presidential administration.
Zelensky considered it possible that he might have a word with Putin on the sidelines of the forum. The possibility was publicly confirmed by the Kremlin. However, the two presidents did not even meet briefly.