Israeli football fans sparked outrage in Poland on Thursday by displaying a banner that read, “Murderers since 1939” during a match against a Polish team.
Polish President Andrzej Duda condemned the display, saying it insulted the memory of Poles – including Jews – killed during World War II.
Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany during the war. Its prewar Jewish population of 3.2 million, the largest in Europe, was nearly annihilated, with many victims sent to Nazi death camps.
An additional 3 million non-Jewish Poles also perished under the occupation.
Disputes over the history of World War II and the Holocaust have previously strained relations between Poland and Israel.
Studies have shown that some Poles were complicit in the killing of Jews by Nazi Germany, but many Poles reject such findings, saying they attempt to dishonor a country that suffered immensely during the war.
The “Murderers since 1939” banner was displayed prominently across a row of seats by fans of Israeli club Maccabi Haifa during their Europa Conference League match against Rakow Czestochowa, which was played in Debrecen, Hungary, for security reasons.
“The scandalous banner displayed by Maccabi Haifa fans insults the memory of Polish citizens – victims of World War II, including 3 million Jews,” Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a former head of the country’s Institute of National Remembrance, wrote on X. “Stupidity that no words can justify.”
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said, “Anti-Polonism and the scandalous distortion of Polish history by Israeli hooligans demand strong condemnation.”
The Israeli Embassy in Warsaw also condemned the banner.
“There is no place for such words and actions, from any side, neither at the stadium nor anywhere else. Never!” the embassy wrote on X. “These shameful incidents do not reflect the spirit of the majority of Israeli fans.”
Rakow Czestochowa won the game 2-0, securing a 2-1 victory on aggregate.
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