Yaakov Finkelstein has been appointed to serve as Israel’s new ambassador to Poland, replacing controversial outgoing ambassador Yacov Livne.
The move is widely seen as being an attempt to repair strained diplomatic relations after Livne’s tenure saw a series of diplomatic clashes and public backlashes.
Assuming his post in July 2022, Livne arrived in Warsaw amid already strained relations between the two countries.
One of the key sources of tension was Poland’s 2021 legislation penalizing accusations of Polish complicity in the Holocaust, a move that sparked a sharp reaction from Israel.
Livne further inflamed tensions, particularly regarding Poland’s stance on Israel’s military actions and the killing of a Polish humanitarian worker.
In October 2023, tensions flared when Poland refused to explicitly back Israel’s military strikes on Gaza and Lebanon following Hamas’s October 7 attacks.
The most severe backlash came after Israel’s April 1, 2024, attack on a World Central Kitchen humanitarian convoy, which killed multiple aid workers, including Polish volunteer Damian Soból.
Livne refused to express regret, prompting strong condemnation from Polish President Andrzej Duda.
In an interview with the Kanał Zero YouTube channel, Livne dismissed criticism, saying Poland should trust Israel and avoid accusing it of war crimes because of its “very strong contacts with major NATO countries.”
Adding to the diplomatic friction, Livne openly praised the Red Army on multiple occasions, a stance that clashed with Poland’s historical narrative.
In comments reported by the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, he justified the Soviet invasion of Poland on September 17, 1939, arguing that the Polish government had “lost control over the armed forces.”
It is now hoped that the arrival of Yaakov Finkelstein, who currently serves in the foreign ministry’s department for Europe, will help soothe relations.
He previously worked at the Warsaw embassy as cultural attaché in the year 2005 to 2008.
He had also been posted to Azerbaijan, South Africa and most recently as consul general in Mumbai, India, and he worked in various capacities at the ministry’s headquarters in Jerusalem.
