A reported remark by the conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO), now touring Poland, appears to have struck a sour note in the delicate task of restoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, which Poland broke 20 years ago.
Ambassador Mordechai Paltzur, who heads the interest section Israel opened in Warsaw only last summer, was forced to apologize for the remark, which had incensed Polish leaders and Americans of Polish origin, Davar reported Monday.
According to an American news report, the IPO conductor and musical director, Zubin Mehta, and one of the musicians, told a reporter that the IPO was visiting Poland with “mixed feelings” because of the treatment of Jews by Poles during World War II and the collaboration by many Poles with the Nazis at that time.
When the story appeared, Paltzur was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Warsaw and told that the Polish Consulate in Chicago had received dozens of telephone calls from irate Polish Americans who urged that the IPO tour be cancelled.
The Israeli envoy reportedly offered his apologies and asked the Israeli Foreign Ministry to stress to the IPO the sensitivity of their hosts. The orchestra arrived in Warsaw Sunday for a one-week tour. The two concerts in Warsaw are reportedly sold out.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
