Ambassador Yacov Livne: Lublin was a Small Jerusalem

- Lublin is a good place for Poles and Jews to begin to understand each other, said Yacov Livne, Israeli ambassador to Poland, during a meeting at the Catholic University of Lublin.

The state of Israeli-Polish relations, the future of the Holy Land, and the development of cooperation concerning the study of the Hebrew language were the topics of the meeting "Nations in Dialogue - States in Cooperation" at the Catholic University of Lublin, attended by the Ambassador of Israel to Poland Yacov Livne.

In the ambassador's opinion, common history is crucial for the understanding of Polish-Israeli relations. "It is difficult to imagine Jewish history without Poland and Poles. For many years, Jews were a significant part of the population of Polish cities and Lublin was the third largest centre of Jewish life in Poland. It even came to be known as a small Jerusalem", recalled Ambassador Yacov Livne. According to him, awareness of our common history will allow Poles and Jews to get to know each other better. "The history of our nations is long and rich, and Lublin is a city where this history can be seen and sensed everywhere. That is why Lublin is a good place for Poles and Jews to start understanding each other", pointed out the ambassador.

The "Nations in Dialogue - States in Cooperation" meeting was held under the auspices of the Abraham J. Heschel Centre for Catholic-Jewish Relations at the Catholic University of Lublin.

Rector of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski indicated that the Centre has been in operation for nearly two years. "It is tasked with strengthening the Catholic-Jewish dialogue. There is a need for a centre that integrates what for centuries has been the foundation of our co-existence, as every meeting and every dialogue reinforces what unites us and leaves aside what is not always conducive to growth", stressed Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski.

During the meeting, Rector of the Catholic University of Lublin asked the ambassador about a possible support of the University in terms of learning Hebrew. "I will be happy to establish such cooperation with the Catholic University of Lublin"; Yacov Livne was enthusiastic and pointed out that Hebrew is an ancient language whose artefacts are 3,000 years old.

"For many years, Hebrew was the language of prayer for Jews and the language of study and intellectual development, but it was not the language used on a daily basis. Today, we have transformed ancient Hebrew into a tool for modern communication", added the Israeli diplomat.

At the Catholic University of Lublin, Yacov Livne spoke about Israel's cooperation with our country's authorities regarding the investigation into the death of a Polish citizen in the Gaza Strip. He also touched upon the organisation of trips of Israeli youth to Poland. "Dialogue between young people is what we should invest in", argued Yacov Livne.

The Israeli ambassador to Poland was also asked about his country's position on the on the war in Ukraine. "Israel has supported Ukraine since the first days of the war, because we opt for democracy, not totalitarianism. We must fight common enemies and should help our friends who are in a tough situation. Together we can do a lot of good", said Yacov Livne.