The IDF canceled the delegations to Poland and moved them to Lithuania, without permission from the Chief of Staff and the Minister of Defense.
The cancellation of delegations to Poland was revealed yesterday in "Israel Today".
The decision was made in the IDF due to difficulties in coordinating with the Poles, and following the diplomatic tensions that prevail with Poland over its government's policy on the Holocaust.
Instead, the IDF decided to move the delegations to Lithuania from now on, and last week a group of instructors from Yad Vashem even visited the country, in order to prepare for the soon-to-be arrival of the first military delegations.
An IDF delegation in the Auschwitz camp, Photo: Courtesy of the IDF
But now it turns out that the decision was not approved at all as required.
The person who led it was Chief Education Officer, Brigadier General Ofir Levios, who received the approval of the head of the IDF and the Deputy Chief of Staff. Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi did not discuss the issue at all, and did not approve it anyway. Before the Minister of Defense, Bnei Gantz.
Great embarrassment
The IDF was very embarrassed yesterday following the publication, when it became clear that the decision was not made as required. Senior officials criticized the decision, and some described it as "delusional." One source said that "the Holocaust took place in Poland, and nowhere else.
And if it is not possible to travel to Poland, it is possible to sit in Israel and learn about the Holocaust.
You should not spend money on just trips whose value is unclear. "
The delegations have been traveling to Poland for about two decades, under the name "Witnesses in Uniform," to deepen their study of the events of the Holocaust.
This is a project designed to expose IDF officers to the Holocaust, as well as to the rich Jewish culture that existed in Poland in the centuries prior to it. Israel, the Prison Service, the Shin Bet and more.
Ganz and Stars.
The Minister of Defense has not been updated on any change either, Photo: Ariel Hermoni - Ministry of Defense
Great review
In the last two years all delegations to Poland have been frozen because of the corona.
Recently, the IDF decided to renew the delegations, but in coordination with Yad Vashem, it was decided to send them to Lithuania from now on.
Deepen the crisis
Several sources expressed concern yesterday that the decision would deepen the crisis with the Polish government.
This is at a time when Poland is playing an important role in the war in Ukraine, and it has even absorbed hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
As a result of the war, Israel also returned the ambassador to Warsaw to assist Israelis and Jews fleeing Ukraine, which was supposed to help thaw tensions between the two countries.
The person who criticized the decision yesterday was the Minister of Intelligence, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Elazar Stern, who during his time as chief education officer initiated the delegations project, under the name "Witnesses in Uniform."
Stern said yesterday that he was "very surprised by the decision, which is devoid of any logic and justification. I know tens of thousands of officers and counters, regular and reserve, who talk about the trip to Poland as a point that changed their military and private lives.
Brigadier General Ofir Levios, Chief Education Officer, Photo: Oren Cohen
"I hope that the IDF will recover quickly, change its decision and return to the previous format.
In any case, there is no justification for traveling to Lithuania more than to the Netherlands or France. "Stern added that he intends to discuss the matter with Defense Minister Ganz, in order to change the decision.
Examining the possibility
The IDF Spokesman's Response: "The 'Witnesses in Uniform' Journey is a key element in commemorating the Holocaust in the IDF. Until the return to Poland, the possibility of holding trips to Lithuania, a country with a glorious Jewish past, The Holocaust for IDF commanders in the best possible way.
The recommendation will be presented to the Chief of Staff soon. "
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