Apprehension gripped Polish Jews today as they realized the full import of the official ban against their joining the new Government party which has been labeled the “Camp of National Unity.”
Clarification of what had at first appeared an equivocal statement on Jewish membership was contained in a special communique issued by Col. Jan Kowalewski, chief of staff for Col. Adam Koc, the party’s organizer.
According to the communique, no Jews professing the Jewish religion will be admitted to the party. Monday’s announcement had said that baptized Jews and “Poles of Mosaic religion,” implying assimilated Jews, would be eligible for membership, but that “national” Jews were barred. The word Jew was defined as signifying nationality.
“Jews, as Jews,” the communique stated, “are no more entitled than are Tartars or Mohammedans to qualify for membership in an organization which is based on predominance of Christian principles. It would be as incompatible for Jews, as Jews, to be accepted in the new party as it would be for Poles to join a Zionist organization.”
The statement pointed out that even Jews who fought for Poland in the war are barred to the party.
Predictions made at the time of the new party’s organization last February that it would be anti-Semitic in basis, then denied, are now fully confirmed. If the official ban alone were insufficient evidence of the party’s basic anti-Semitism, Col. Kowalewski, in the communique allays any lingering doubts.
Terming the Jewish problem in Poland “one of the most important national problems, ” he flatly states:
“The Jews are too numerous. The solution is mass emigration first of all and we will seek it in that direction. However, we cannot wait until the problem solves itself by the disappearance of the Jews, for we must without delay find employment for the Polish population in trade, industry and the handicrafts. We must spare no efforts to Polonize these chief branches of the national economy and help our cities play their part in the economic and cultural life.”
This political isolation of the Jews, coupled with the official sanction of the boycott, is believed all that is needed to bring the extremist Nationalist parties under the banner of the “Camp for National Unity,” which was designed to unify all factions.
The Government press, commenting on the development, declared:
“Pious Jews are not harmful, but we dread Jews who wish us to think they’re Poles.”
Jewish newspapers, commenting that there was no longer any doubt on the Jewish position, urged eradication of all party differences in order to protect Jewish interests on a basis of solidarity.
A conference called for May by the extreme assimilated Jewish groups wishing to form a Jewish section of the Koc party has been cancelled as a result of Col. Kowalewski’s statement.
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.
