Poles criticize Israeli visitors behavior

[Jaga]

I also have heard about the problems with the Jewish youth surrounded by guards some time ago. I read somewhere that they are taught that Poles hate them and that also make their behavior not very nice towards locals.

Here is a recent information from UPI:

Poles criticize Israeli visitors behavior
KRAKOW, Poland, May 24 (UPI) -- Poland's southern city of Krakow complained Israeli security guards accompanying young Jewish tourists exceeded their licensed authority, media said Thursday.
Krakow city officials asked the mayor and police to investigate reports alleging Israeli bodyguards with teenage tourist groups on several occasions stopped passersby to check their identity cards, search them and even handcuffed them, Polish Radio reported.

Any activities mentioned in those reports may be carried out only by Polish police, the radio said.

All groups of Israeli tourists visiting Poland come to Krakow to tour its medieval Kazimierz district, where local authorities and Jewish organizations stage exhibitions and concerts in a bid to prevent Jewish culture from falling into oblivion.

The Kazimierz district helps visitors to learn more about the tragic plight of Polish Jews during World War II. Krakow is also near to the notorious Auschwitz Nazi prison camp.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the guards accompany teenage groups sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Education. About 20,000 teenagers visit Poland each year, the newspaper said.

The city council plans an information campaign to specifically advise Israeli visitors about Polish rules, the radio said.

www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/05/24/poles_criticize_israeli_visitors_behavior/7819/

[Jaga]

The event which was described in Polish press and for which the Israel embassy apoligized involved Italian man livinig in Poland. He was upset that the buses of Jewish youth did no turn of engines for 20 minutes (according to regulations the engine can be turn on only for 10 minutes). We went to tell driver what he thinks about it, the driver asked security to get rid of him, they pushed him away. He was so upset that he took a rock to try to hit them when they saw it - all guards from all buses came and beat him up badly.

[bescheid]

This was a very unfortunate situation of the gentleman through frustration resorted to confrontation with the bus operator over the motor noise situation.

I am very confident the Polish Security Department of the Federal Arm has taken full security measures for the protection of these various Israeli youth excursion visits to Poland.

Charles

[pieter]

I think this is an incident, and remember an incident with a bus of Dutch teenagers who visited Poland too.
The teenagers with darker features were treated badly by Polish and German border guards.
I hope that this incident will not grow out of proportion, like the incident with the Dutch bus,
from a small incident the image arose of racist Polish functionairies.

Israel is a very militairised country, and most people are trained in combat,
that can have to do with the Israeli reaction to the behavior of the Italian man.
I also think Israeli's are temperamentful people, who act more agigated easily
then the cold blooded Centre-European Poles.

Pieter

[Jaga]

Pieter,

I think that this problem is a bit worse since these groups are coming with their security quards from outside Poland. They may think that they are still in the Middle East where you treat everybody as a suspect but they are not, they are in a relatively peaeful Europe. They cause even problems to a local Jewish community there!

[bescheid]

admin said:

Pieter,

I think that this problem is a bit worse since these groups are coming with their security quards from outside Poland. They may think that they are still in the Middle East where you treat everybody as a suspect but they are not, they are in a relatively peaeful Europe. They cause even problems to a local Jewish community there!

I am very sorry for my hold back with contribution. For it is out of respect and consideration.

It is very true of Israeli actions to consolidation of Israeli security people with all visiting youth groups at foreign guest visits. It is a necessary precaution, for each child and youngster are marked as possible victims of what ever action.

For the most part, these people are conducting business in an unnoticed fashion. It is an example of the hot head in the act of some thing stupid, that brought Israel security into action. The person was very fortunate to have not suffered injury for his actions. For as those actions of tossing a rock, may very well have been observed as a grenade. It is this cause that requires the attendance of Security agents in the company of these visiting youth groups.

Polish security central {Federal} should have taken prior steps, with provision of their own forces as an augmentation. But, it is self evident this was not the case, as such, are reminisce in failing to do so.

Although it is not possible to pre-determine an action of this type in advance. But very ample advance notice is provided by Israel of the itinerary of these various visiting youth groups to the appropriate authority for provision of suitable security measures to be implaced for response on the various levels of responsibility.

I am not certain of Poland. For as an example of proper security procedure measures.

Israel will place of notice for the year, a calender of visits of their various youth and visitor groups, to {Berlin Informationen und Analyse} This inturn, once the information is processed, it is then provided to The {BKA}-{BündesKriminalamt-Wiesbaden} for decision of priority to the responsible {Landpolizei}or{Schützplizei} for the local decisions of security. With this, is notification to the {Bereitschaftpolizei-readiness} as an alert level for as needed {most of time, not needed}.

The lessons of the past have not been wasted in respect to the security and safety of visiting Israeli groups. For once the Israeli groups have set one foot upon German soil off the aircraft onto the concrete/tarmac, it then becomes a German problem.

As I have fore mentioned, I am very confident of a similar procedure in place with the Polish Government, for the insurement of safety of these visiting groups. Perhaps there was a slight mis-understanding in communication, to have allowed the situation as mentioned, to have occurred upon Polish soil as an unfortionante situation.

Charles

[sciwriter]

Unfortunate incident and IMO it doesn't reflect overall Polish-Israeli relations.

[ludikundera]

I read a similar story in a local paper: about a Polish Jew who was rather violently escorted out of a synagogue by several Jewish guards because young Jewish-Israelis were set to visit the same synagogue.

Perhaps Poland simply wants the tourist $$$.