Poland and Israel to sign agreement on youth trips
Poland and Israel will soon sign an agreement to resume organised Israeli youth visits to Poland, an advisor to the Polish president said on Tuesday.
The visits had been halted over security issues.
Young Jewish Israelis would traditionally make educational trips to Poland, which included visits to former Nazi death camps, and pay tribute to their victims.
They were accompanied by armed officers belonging to the Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security agency.
But in June last year the Polish Foreign Ministry said that, "a return to the previous rules, including the participation of armed Israeli agents, was not possible."
Subsequently, the Israeli government decided to cancel the trips.
Last week, the Polish Foreign Ministry announced that as part of negotiations between the two governments, a preliminary deal had been reached on the resumption of educational trips.
On Tuesday, Marcin Przydacz, the Polish president's chief aide, confirmed that "a Polish-Israeli agreement will be signed regarding youth trips, especially regarding the security officers that accompanied Israeli trips."
He said that under the agreement, Israeli guards with visible weapons would not accompany Israeli tours.
"This agreement is foreseen so that the presence of Israeli security agents with weapons does not cause some unhealthy emotions around these trips," Przydacz added.
He also said that, if necessary, the trips will be protected by Polish security.
"We want to send a positive message to Israeli youth, so that Poland is associated with a place where it is safe and peaceful," Przydacz added.
Lukasz Jasina, a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman, told TV Republika broadcaster on Tuesday that the disputed issue of Israeli youth trips to Poland could be resolved during the visit by Eli Cohen, the Israeli foreign minister, to Warsaw on Wednesday.
