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Polish President Lech Kaczynski. (Reuters)
Last update - 22:27 13/05/2008
Polish Pres.: Israeli youth should learn Poland not to blame for the Holocaust
By Ofri Ilani, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Poland, tamir, Israel 

Polish President Lech Kaczynski met with Education Minister Yuli Tamir in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Kaczynski, who is visiting Israel for President Peres' conference, told Tamir he thinks Israeli students visiting Poland should study Poland's pre-Holocaust history and various aspects of Poland's diverse culture in addition to its role in the Holocaust.

"Their fear is that because the children only see the camps they will get the impression that the Polish were the driving force behind the annihilation," explained Tamir.

According to Tamir, the Polish are trying to improve their historical image and seek to remind the world that Poland was also a victim of Nazism and that although the Nazi death camps were in Poland, Germany was behind the genocide.
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Tamir said that the Education Ministry makes a conscious effort to paint a balanced picture and refrain from portraying the Polish as the cause of the Holocaust. "On the other hand," she added, "we cannot sidestep the fact that many of the camps were in Poland, and that a significant percentage of the Jewish people was massacred there."

Kaczynski also expressed his interest in creating meetings between Israeli students and their Polish counterparts.

Tamir alerted Kaczynski of her plan to reduce the cost of student trips to Poland by housing the students in Polish youth hostels with kosher kitchens.

"We are already collaborating with the Polish government, which allows us to rent youth hostels. These hostels will offer kosher food, Israeli security guards and the atmosphere of an educational institution."

Tamir hopes that the new housing arrangement will also reduce the disciplinary problems of Israeli students touring Poland. "It is inappropriate for students to be alone in a hotel with a bar and porno films," she concluded.

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      1.   More Libel Against Poles 21:55  |  KeepingItRealJew 13/05/08
      2.   More Libel Against Poles Part II 22:06  |  KeepingItRealJew 13/05/08
      3.   Poles didn`t help themselves.... 22:31  |  ross 13/05/08
      4.   "Libel Against Poles"?? 22:32  |  Alan Steiner 13/05/08
      5.   What?! Israelis in bars and porno films! 22:46  |  OY VEY! 13/05/08
      6.   My Grandmother left Poland in 1931 23:04  |  A New York Jew 13/05/08
      7.   Poland has a lot to applogize for 23:11  |  Jordan 13/05/08
      8.   Polish were enthusiastic anti-semites 23:19  |  Shep Fargotstein 13/05/08
      9.   Yes. Poland not to blame for the Holocaust. But many did join... 23:28  |  bat yam 13/05/08
      10.   Poland not to blame 23:31  |  howiej 13/05/08
      11.   Yes, Let`s Keep It Real No. 1 and 2 23:38  |  Danny 13/05/08
      12.   For the umteenth time! Poles love Jews. Really... 23:46  |  bat yam 13/05/08
      13.   shame on Poland 23:52  |  Norman halfteck 13/05/08
      14.   Innocent polish people !!! 00:01  |  pete 14/05/08
      15.   Drunk Catholic Poles waged pogroms, turned in Jews and stole Jewi 00:05  |  N.T.`s T.N.T. 14/05/08
      16.   Lefties like Tamir are at the moment greater danger than Poles 00:25  |  Absolute Sweden 14/05/08
      17.   This must be a joke??? 00:26  |  Nathan 14/05/08
      18.   To #8, Shepsel 00:43  |  Fievel 14/05/08
      19.   Re: Alan Steiner 00:48  |  mp 14/05/08
      20.   Re: A New York Jew 00:58  |  mp 14/05/08
      21.   Introspection 01:37  |  KeepingItRealJew 14/05/08
      22.   Jewish collaborating 01:39  |  jj 14/05/08
      23.   What about Pogroms before and AFTER? 01:51  |  Mark Lincoln 14/05/08
      24.   For the umteenth time. Poles love Jews. Really!... 01:59  |  bat yam 14/05/08
      25.   KeepingItRealJew - the only noble & wise voice here 02:14  |  thank you 14/05/08
      26.   Jewish version of Polish history 02:25  |  Sam 14/05/08
      27.   Historical truth 02:27  |  Honest_Pole 14/05/08
      28.   Historical truth 2 02:30  |  Honest_Pole 14/05/08
      29.   Shep fargostein is a typical 02:39  |  Honest_Pole 14/05/08
      30.   Lies only saying this once most survivors are dead 02:49  |  sada 14/05/08
      31.   target poland in the samson option 02:53  |  jewish mad man 14/05/08
      32.   TRUTH: PA CAMPS ON ISRAELI SOIL 03:31  |  Jeff 14/05/08
      33.   Bat Yam 03:59  |  Mark Lincoln 14/05/08
      34.   I don`t understand... 04:16  |  Jack 14/05/08
      35.   Collaboration 04:24  |  Jack 14/05/08
      36.   Bat Yam, For the umteenth time! Poles love Jews. Really... 05:23  |  KeepingItRealJew 14/05/08
      37.   Polish image will always be bad (I don`t blame the people now) 05:37  |  Donald 14/05/08
      38.   WONDERFUL PRE-WAR POLAND 05:41  |  Arik Silverman 14/05/08
      39.   MORE WONDERFUL PRE-WAR POLAND 05:47  |  Arik Silverman 14/05/08
      40.   GERMAN CAMPS IN POLAND 07:08  |  PJ 14/05/08
      41.   Alan, Jordan, Shep and others 07:23  |  Yilde 14/05/08
      42.   Poland not= Nazi occupied Poland 11:03  |  Mark 14/05/08
      43.   Jewish scholars and organisations say camps not "Polish" 14:27  |  Justine 14/05/08
      44.   Yad Vashem historian`s change of heart 14:37  |  Justine 14/05/08
      45.   Vast majority of Polish pre-war Jews didn`t speak Polish 15:57  |  truth 14/05/08
      46.   my two cents 16:19  |  siudol 14/05/08
      47.   Poles and Jews were equal victims. 18:22  |  adam 14/05/08
      48.   #21: Poles were involved... 20:32  |  Jan 14/05/08
      49.   Poles and Jews .... 20:56  |  Darek 14/05/08
      50.   a reflection on post #48 21:07  |  siudol 14/05/08
      51.   48 Jan. You are 100% correct. My parents and their friends... 21:23  |  survivor`s son 14/05/08
      52.   To #48 Jan from Germany 21:27  |  Jack 14/05/08
      53.   To #51: Go there yourself 22:31  |  Jan 14/05/08
      54.   To 51 22:43  |  Jan 14/05/08
      55.   To #51 and #52 22:59  |  Jan 14/05/08
      56.   #48 If you mean Polish Kapos, talk about Jewish Kapos too 23:36  |  toGermanRevisionist 14/05/08
      57.   #54 Jan 00:09  |  siudol 15/05/08
      58.   #56: flawed comparison 00:30  |  Jan 15/05/08
      59.   how about a proof Jan (#48) 00:53  |  siudol 15/05/08
      60.   To #54 Jan from Germany 00:57  |  Jack 15/05/08
      61.   To: #57 01:47  |  Jan 15/05/08
      62.   to Jan 02:13  |  Justine 15/05/08
      63.   To #58 Jan from Germany 02:14  |  Jack 15/05/08
      64.   to Jan 02:23  |  Justine 15/05/08
      65.   A German`s point of view on Islam (1) 03:49  |  Ted Janusz 15/05/08
      66.   A German`s point of view on Islam (2) 03:51  |  Ted Janusz 15/05/08
      67.   A German`s point of view on Islam (3) 03:54  |  Ted Janusz 15/05/08
      68.   A German`s point of view on Islam (4) 03:59  |  Ted Janusz 15/05/08
      69.   Re: Jan #56 06:06  |  Yilde 15/05/08
      70.   to Jan - what staff? 14:41  |  Justine 15/05/08
      71.   poor Jan 15:45  |  siudol 15/05/08
      72.   Anti-Jewish violence in Poland, 1944-1946 21