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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2018
Jean-Paul Sartre once observed that “contrary to a wide spread opinion, it is not the Jewish character that provokes anti-Semitism but, rather, that it is the anti-Semite who creates the New.” This statement seems to have particular validity in regard to communist Poland, where in the years 1967–1968 the authorities carried out a large-scale campaign against the small Jewish minority, numbering less than 30,000, most of whom had long been assimilated.
1 Jean-Paul Sartre, Anti-Semite and Jew (New York, 1965), 143.Google Scholar
2
In 1966, the number of Jews registered in the officially-sponsored Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland (TSK
wP) reached 7,500, while the number of Jews registered in congregations (some of them also participated in the activities of the TSK
wP) was much smaller. See
ycie Literackie, Apr. 3, 1966; also Kwilecki, Andrzej, “National Minorities in Poland,” Polish Round Table, 2 (1968), 149.Google Scholar
3 Lewis, Bernard, “Semites and Anti-Semites: Race in the Arab-Israel Conflict,” Survey, 17 (Spring 1971), 181.Google Scholar
4 See my article on “The Background of the Anti-Zionist Campaign of 1967–1968 in Poland,” Essays in History, 17 (1972–73), 70–96. Hereinafter referred to as the “Background.”Google Scholar
5 The New York Times, June 10, 1967; Birecki, Henryk, “Wojna sześciodniowa widziana z Warszawy (2),” Na Antenie, 123–4 (June-July, 1973), 30. Also my M. A. thesis on “The Anti-Zionist Campaign and Student Demonstrations in Poland, 1967–1968” (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1972). Hereinafter referred to as “Anti-Zionist Campaign.”Google Scholar
6 By 1950 the activities of all Zionist organizations and institutions in Poland were terminated by the authorities.Google Scholar
7 The passage on the Zionist fifth column in Poland was deleted from the official version of Gomulka's speech, but later the media alluded to it. See, for example, Gazeta Robotnicza, March 19, 1968, or Walichnowski, Tadeusz, Syjonizm a paṅstwo żydowskie (Katowice, 1968), 80–81.Google Scholar
8 For the background and course of the campaign see the “Background” and the “Anti-Zionist Campaign.”Google Scholar
9 Wiaziemski probably referred to V. I. Lenin, “Polozhenie Bunda v partii,” Sochineniia, 5th ed. (Moscow, 1959), v. 8, pp. 65–76.Google Scholar
10 All emphases in the original text, unless otherwise stated.Google Scholar
11 Jewish religious literature is in many instances confusing and contradictory, but intellectual honesty should have dictated Professor Wiaziemski to check if his quotes could be found in the Bible or the Talmud. My quick check on his quotes indicates that he did not use the above sources at all. Compare, for example, the passages on non-Jews: Bemidbar Rabbach 8, 2; Yebamot 47a-b; Tanhuvia Lekh Lekha 6; Seder Eliahu Rabbash 9; Megillah 16; Eliahu Zuta 20; Deut. 9:5, 29:10; Exod. 21:20; I Kings 9:30–21; Josh. 8:33–35; Neh. 10:29; Matt. 23:15; on stealing: Chullin 94a; Tosefta Baba Kamma 10, 15; Baba Kamma 113b; on rape see quotations in Encyclopedia Talmudica, I (Jerusalem, 1969), 451–60, 679–89; and on usury: Baba Bathra 88b and 90b; Shabbath 31a; Sukkah 49b; Ezek. 18:13; Exod. 15:26.Google Scholar
12 See Edward H. Flannery, The Anguish of the Jews (New York, 1965), 192.Google Scholar
13 Compare with the World Conquest Through World Government: Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion (Devon, 1969), 27, 45, 50–51, 71, to mention only a few examples. Hereinafter referred to as the Protocols.Google Scholar
14 For details see the “Background” and the “Anti-Zionist Campaign.”Google Scholar
15 Interestingly enough, the Soviet media have never accused the Jews (or Zionists) of being responsible for Beriovshchina. Recently however, one Soviet historian has charged the Russian Zionists with influencing the activities of Rasputin and Nicholas II. See L. Vostokov, “Antinarodnaia deiatel'nost' sionistov v Rossii,” Voprosy istorii, 3 (March, 1973), 23–35.Google Scholar
16 For a detailed discussion and bibliography see the “Anti-Zionist Campaign.”Google Scholar
17 Protocols, 40.Google Scholar
18 Emphasis added.Google Scholar
19 For a detailed discussion of this forgery and for the full text, see Cohn, Norman, Warrant for Genocide: the Myth of the Jewish World Conspiracy and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion (New York, 1969), 32–40, 269–74.Google Scholar
20
It must be noted here that the anti-Semitic leaflets appeared on the grounds of the University of Warsaw before the demonstrations had even started. Significantly, the authorities did nothing to find their authors, neither any official criticism of them was expressed in the media. In fact, reading the statement made by the first secretary of the Warsaw Party Committee one gets an impression that the authorities might have had something to do with the appearing anti-Semitic leaflets. See Dokumenty. Wydarzenia marcowe 1968 (Paris, 1969), 29–30; Lucjan Perzanowski and Antoni Kuczmierczyk, Nie ma chleba bez wolnosci: Reporta
dokumentalny (London, 1971), 315–16. Hereinafter referred to as Perzanowski, Nie ma chlega.Google Scholar
21 Trybuna Ludu, March 12, 1968. It should be remembered, however, that although the charge of Zionist activity was repeated also by other party and government officials and consequently by the media, none of the students brought to trial were formally charged with or sentenced for Zionist activities. But the authorities made strong and repeated attempts to prove that the student demonstrations were inspired, organized and led by the Jews. See Perzanowski, Nie ma chleba, 172–223; also the “Anti-Zionist Campaign.”Google Scholar
22 Trybuna Ludu, March 15, 1968.Google Scholar
23 Ibid., March 20, 1968.Google Scholar
24 For a detailed discussion see the “Anti-Zionist Campaign,” 90–131.Google Scholar
25
The phrase “infantile Zionists” (raczkujαcy syjoni
ci) is only another form of the term “infantile revisionists” which was frequently used by the media in 1968 whenever a reference was made to the leaders of student demonstrations. The expression “infantile” referred to the fact that a number of the students mentioned by the media had been involved in their teens in the activities of the Contradiction Seekers' Club in Warsaw. The Club was led by young and gifted Warsaw intellectuals, who taught their charges undogmatic approach to political and social problems of this world.Google Scholar
26 The Polish word used here is nierzαd. It has two meanings: harlotry and anarchy. Undoubtedly, Wiaziemski selected this word to imply both meanings.Google Scholar
27 Wiaziemski attempts here to put the blame on Jews for a big criminal affair in imported medicines. Several high officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare were involved in it. The only Jew implicated in this case, A. I. Kierbel - not directly involved though - was put on trial, which was replete with very strong anti-Semitic overtones. For details see the “Anti-Zionist Campaign,” 117–20, and Na Antenie, 80 (Nov., 1969), 35; 82 (Jan., 1970), 35–36; 91 (Oct., 1970), 34–35; 92 (Nov., 1970), 34–35; 93 (Dec., 1970), 25; and 94 (Jan., 1971), 51.Google Scholar
28 This is again a reference to a big campaign carried out by the media in 1968. It was called the “Encyclopedists' Affair,” because the people involved in it (some of Jewish extraction) were members of the editorial board of the Great Polish Encyclopedia (Wielka Encyklopedia Powszechna). In this case the Jews were charged with acting to the detriment of the Polish nation by distorting historical facts in articles appearing in the Encyclopedia. For a detailed discussion of this affair see the “Anti-Zionist Campaign,” 121–27. Also Bromberg, Adam, “Encyklopedysci,” Kultura (Paris), 7/310–10/313 (July-Oct., 1973), 174–78, 123–28, 157–64.Google Scholar
29 Nowiny Kurier, Feb. 16, 1970.Google Scholar
30 Infeld, Leopold, Szkice z przeszlości (Warsaw, 1964), 128–29. The English version of this passage is the following: “I have given much thought to the possibility that, out of some sort of idealism, you might have become too involved with Polish affairs. Even given my sympathy for the present Polish government, I cannot but doubt the stability of the situation there. After a while, the sons of darkness may once again crawl out of their rats' nests, in which they presently keep themselves hidden - just as it was in Germany in the 1920's. Then these fellows will make your life a living hell.” For translating this passage the author wishes to thank Mr. John D. Treadway.Google Scholar