WARSAW, Poland (JTA) – The United States’ ambassador to Poland wished Jews a happy Passover in Polish on Twitter.
Some Polish nationalists weren’t too happy about it.
Georgette Mosbacher tweeted wishes for “peace and joyful holidays” on the occasion of ” the Feast of Pesach, commemorating the departure of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.”
“Chag Pesach Sameach,”she added in transliterated Hebrew. “Happy Passover!”
In addition to anti-Semitic reactions from common readers, the tweet also earned a rebuke from a lawmaker from the ruling Law and Justice Party. Krystyna Pawlowicz suggested that the tweet was an insult to the country’s Catholic majority. She also accused Mosbacher of trying to undermine plans for a U.S. military base to be built in Poland, presumably by reminding people of the dark history of Poland’s Jewish minority.
“This must be a fake profile,” tweeted Pawlowicz, calling Mosbacher’s greetings a “provocation.”
“Someone wants to provoke us in these days and prove that U.S. military bases in Poland should not be built and that President Donald Trump should not come to Poland on this matter in autumn,” Pawlowicz wrote. Poland is seeking to build a U.S. military base on its territory. The working name of this base is “Fort Trump.”
“Mrs. Ambassador, CHRIST is Risen! Hallelujah!” added Pawlowicz,
Twitter users reminded Mosbacher that the majority of Poles are Catholics who celebrate Easter — which, like the second day of Passover, fell on Sunday.
Comments to the ambassador’s tweet suggested that the Jews killed Jesus. Others said: “You are not in Israel, but in Poland,” and “F**k the Jews.” Others wondered where the good wishes were for Easter.
On Sunday, Ambassador Mosbacher sent Easter greetings to her “Polish friends.”
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