Following Poland’s passage of a law that effectively prevents heirs from reclaiming property seized by the Nazis during World War II, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski said that Warsaw is examining whether to continue allowing Israeli trips to Nazi death camps, claiming they “instill hatred for Poland.”
Amb. (ret.) Colette Avital will delve into the various aspects of the controversy, explain how it could impact on Holocaust education and discuss possible Israeli counter-measures.
Amb. (ret.) Avital currently serves as Chairperson of the Center Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel, an umbrella group representing 58 related associations. She began her career in 1999 as a parliamentarian with the Labor Party and a year later formed the Committee of Inquiry for the Location and Restitution of the Assets of Holocaust Victims. Subsequently, Avital launched a legislative initiative that resulted in the creation of an official institution for the restitution of those assets. In 2015, Avital was elected Secretary General of the World Organization for the Recovery of Jewish Property.
