Yakov Liwne, the erstwhile Israeli ambassador to Poland, will finish his diplomatic mission this month. According to reports, the decision to revoke it was abruptly made and made by Israeli abroad Minister Gidon Sa’ar. This information was confirmed by the spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of abroad Affairs, Oren Marmorstein, in an interview with the Polish Press Agency.
The findings of the “Rzeczpospolita” show that the fresh Israeli ambassador to Poland will be appointed in summer. Until then, Bosmat Baruch will head the diplomatic post in Warsaw as a temporary chargé d’affaires.
Jaakow Liwne assumed the position of Israeli ambassador to Poland in July 2022. His nomination followed a stormy period in Polish-Israeli relations, which worsened, among others, due to judaic pretensions around the law penalising Poland's attribution of work for the Holocaust.
During his tenure in Warsaw, however, Liwne encouraged the conflict. In the context of Israel's ongoing war with Hamas, he described it as “war of civilization with barbarism”. He was critical of Poles supporting free Palestine, comparing them to “Nazi Germans”. In addition, he doubted “moral Authority” European countries and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip have identified as a consequence "a cowardly policy of ignoring Hamas' murderous actions over the past 2 decades".
One of the most annoying moments of his tenure was his position on the tragic death of a Polish volunteer who died as a consequence of an Israeli attack on a humanitarian convoy in the Gaza Strip. In an interview with the Zero Jaakow Canal, Livne stated: “It was a mistake, specified things happen in war”, avoiding a clear apology for this event.
In addition, in social media, he commented on accusations directed towards Israel, claiming that
"The utmost right and left in Poland accuse Israel of intentional murder".
He besides added that "Anti-Semites will always stay anti-Semites, and Israel will stay a democratic judaic State that fights for its right to exist". His words provoked wide criticism and even Polish abroad Minister Radosław Sikorski advised him to show himself "With greater moderation and humility".
In July 2024, on the anniversary of the pogrom in Jedwabne, Jaakow Liwne posted an entry on social media, in which he recalled the tragic events of July 10, 1941. He wrote: "On July 10, 1941, hundreds of judaic men, women and children were driven into the barn and burned alive by their neighbors during the judaic pogrom".
Internet users rapidly noticed that his entry lacked indication of the nationality of the occupiers, and the crime of course he attributed to Poles.
Jaakow Liwne was born on 27 March 1967 in Moscow, and in 1974 emigrated with his household to Israel. He was raised in Haifa, where he graduated from the prestigious Hebrew Reali School in mathematics and science. He has an interdisciplinary education in academic terms. He obtained a Bachelor of discipline from the Israeli method Institute. He then defended his master's thesis at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on the impact of migration on global policy. The doctorate, written at Ari’el University, dealt with Israel’s relation with the russian Union in the first decade of Israel’s existence.
He has been associated with the Israeli Ministry of abroad Affairs Jaakov Liwne since 1992. For 3 decades he held many diplomatic functions, including: attaché in the Russian Federation (1994–1997), counsel at the Israeli Embassy in Germany (1999–2003), chargé d’affaires in Russia (2019–2020). During his work at the Ministry of abroad Affairs, he was liable for policy towards east Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. He was besides manager of the Eurasia Department, in which he negotiated a free trade agreement between Israel and Ukraine, among others.
