Wiesenthal Center Calls on Polish Government to Stop Harassment of Holocaust Historian and Funding of Anti-Semitic Priest’s College

February 16, 2016

The Simon Wiesenthal Center today called on the Polish government to stop the harassment of esteemed Princeton Professor Jan Gross (pictured). Mark Weitzman, the Wiesenthal Center’s Director of Government Relations said, “Jan Gross is a highly respected historian of Polish-Jewish relations. The recent threat by the Office of the President of Poland to strip him of the Order of Merit that he was awarded in 1996 appears to be a politically motivated attempt to intimidate and threaten all those who expose the history of anti-Semitism in Poland. Gross’ work has been vital for bringing to public attention significant aspects and uncomfortable truths about the mistreatment of Jews in Poland. Poland, as a member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) has committed itself to supporting open and free research into those difficult topics. This government’s attempts to intimidate and stifle historical research, makes a mockery of previous Polish governments commitments.”

“Further, the Simon Wiesenthal Center also denounces the Polish government’s announcement that it will provide funds to support a college run by anti-Semitic priest Rev. Tadeusz Rydzyk is another outrageous by the government. Rydzyk is the man who runs the Radio Maryja radio station, a station that has been reprimanded by the Vatican for its extreme anti-Semitism.”

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).