Poland's ambassador to Israel was assaulted in broad daylight on Tuesday afternoon near the Polish embassy in Tel Aviv by an assailant who apparently shouted curse words at the envoy as he struck him.
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The attack comes amid the growing diplomatic tension between the two countries, as the former Soviet-backed nation refuses to pay restitution to Holocaust survivors and downplays the county’s involvement in Nazi-orchestrated atrocities.
Marek Magierowski said he was outside the embassy on Soutine Street in Tel Aviv when a man suddenly attacked him and shouted - most likely curse words in Hebrew - at the envoy. The stunned ambassador said all he could understand were the words "Polish, Polish."
Polish officials immediately filed a police complaint, while the envoy also lodged a formal complaint with the Foreign Ministry.
Meron Reuben, the chief of state protocol of the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, asked the Israel Police and the officials responsible for embassy security to prioritize the issue in order to avoid further attacks. The ambassador also said he managed to take a picture of the attacker and his vehicle as he fled.
The perpetrator was arrested by police and brought in for questioning less than an hour after the incident. The Israel Police is now investigating whether the suspect was involved in additional attacks.
The Polish ambassador praised the police for a swift response and effective cooperation throughout the ordeal.