S-F ?
Jewish-Poles and Poles, both was dying in concentration camps.

Fault ? Fault was on Your site - Allies side. You (British, Americas) are the one, who betrayed us (Poles), not help us when Nazi attack us, and sold us to Soviet after WWII. We had received beak our country completely ruined.

Borys, Gdańsk, Poland

I find that your main argument is built on a foundation of historical inaccuracies Mr Coren. Furthermore, many Jews in Poland had Polish nationality. I find it interesting that you refer to modern day Poles as 'they' when your ancestors would have once classed themselves as Polish Jews.

Victoria, Leeds, England

It is not the first time pple's families were burnt to death in the temple, It also happened once to Mel Gibson in The Patriot .

Filua Mitrone, London,

Typical arts graduate. From 1975 to 2008 is 33 years, not 23! If we can't rely on this small detail being factually correct, how can we rely on any other!

Mat Taylor, Leeds,

I live in Canada and heard about this article in TVPolonia. I must say Good job Mr. Coren. You will probably become famous in Poland now, but for the wrong reasons. Your article although lacking basic historical knowledge, has offended many decent people and only added to what you hate yourself.

Bogdan Fiedur, Winnipeg, Canada

Mr. Coren, I regret that you took up the Polish subject to make a quick buck. Stick to cooking.

In case you decide to take up some basic history lessons, start with the "Righteous among the Nations". Poland is a top nation to help the Jews, and those who helped risked their families' life.

Tom, Newmarket, Canada

It is a smirk of the history that the noble Giles is not in position to explain to public of what nationality the Security Service of communist Poland was made of.
The Secirity Service that claimed lifes of thousands Polish patriots from Home Army.
Do you know that Giles? Or don't want to know?

kazik, dublin, ireland

"...dozens of us descended from a single Pole who came in 1903 - more than 100 years later. Not one of us has gone back. Even to visit."

Why is that? It is not explained in the article, but strikes me as very pertinent.

Regards,
Jakub

Jakub Wyszkowski, London, UK

For accuracy: I note in the births index that Giles's father, is registered as 'Alan' Coren, mother's name Coren. So, either two Corens married one another, or Giles's father was illegitimate, in which case Giles would not really be a Coren. Which is it Giles?

Stephen, manchester, england

Dont worry you Poles,

The British have to put up with ungrateful bigotry from immigrants too. If they have suffered in the past they should look to their own actions.

They never go back to their ancestral homes though - its much too comfy in Europe esp. when you can plead special treatment..

Geoff M, Birmingham, England

Mr. Coren seem to be very selective; he does not have anything against German tourists or workers in UK, although it is more likely that the ancestors of these Germans have been actually amusing themselves at Easter by locking Jews in the synagogue and setting fire to it. Shame!

Adam Wojewodzki, Inverness, UK

I'm Polish, half Jewish (a child is a Jew after the mother, not after the father! Ask any Rabbi, if you have doubts), speak Hebrew and feel offended.
Recomended reading is here: http://tubadei.com/GC.txt (it's a very short history lesson, just 688 words).

Martha, Warsaw, Poland

Wartime Poland was not a self-governing country. It's legal government was in exile in the UK. So it did not make any kind of choice to join Nazi Germany, quite the opposite.

Citizens of Poland did more to help Jews than joining in with the invaders, who sought to wipe out both Jews and Poles.

Al Rose, Welwyn Hatfield,

"dozens of us descended from a single Pole who came in 1903". Giles your Polish,glad to hear it., I know your ignorance is based on the fact that you haven't been back but don't put yourself down Giles you know that you are a POLE not a Polack - forgive me for correcting you in public, OK mate

Mateusz Melka, Ashford,

Have you ever heard something like "...as a citizen and as the President of the Polish Republic, I apologise. I apologise in the name of those Poles whose conscience is moved by that crime.”
that means we said sorry for what happend so read, think and then write !

Bartek, Rzeszow, Poland

After 1347 Black Plague in Europe many countries massacre and expel Jaws them Poland become their ’new and only home’, Before the WWII Poland had ~12% or near 4 millions Jews, they usually maintain a higher representation in parliament up to 22.6% (they even have their own ‘national’ party)

Mark, NJ, USA

The biggotted attitudes of Mr Coren are nothing new. In 1939 my father and his brothers left Poland to fight against the Nazis from England. Come 1945 the British government, loudly supported by a ground swell of anti-Polish sentiment, mostly from the gutter press tried to deport them as a reward

Steve, Auckland, New Zealand

What is the difference between the alleged Polish anti-semitism and Jewish anti-polonism? Besides, I am strongly convinced that Mr Coren knows very well that the word Polack is offensive and used it deliberately, which puts him in the same category as spoilt teenagers calling each other names.

Maria Wróbel, Inowrocław, Poland

What a garbage ! Shame !

Arron Willson, Alberta, Canada

Come on Mr Coren. You don't even know what you're talking about. Article written for money and chaos-well done but sad coz it hurt others. Next time think twice before writing and learn some history because others learn it from ur articles that are not reflecting the truth. Why bilding bad emotions?

Magdalena, Wroclaw, Poland

Yeah, let's burn a synagogue for fun. I'm Polish, after all.
And Serbia so very close to Poland? I laughed my head off, nice analogy. Distance between Katowice and Sarajevo is 720 km. Between Plymouth and Barcelona - 930. So what? Analogy pretty much out of place.

Beata, Edinburgh/Korzensko, Scotland/Poland

well,most of the comments expressed my opinion, in every nation there are 'good' and 'bad' people. It is not to labelled anyone, but perhaps the author should realise the complexity of the topic before making silly judgements.

kamila, brighton, UK

it is well known fact that there was an antisemitism in Poland before the WWII as well as it is well known that in 1903 Poland DID NOT EXIST and Poles were under tsarist Russia who intentionally acted against Jewish population on former polish territory

Kamila Fialkowska, Brighton, UK

It is well known that some of the members of the Jewish resistance in Lithuania, usually fighting as part of Soviet groups (eg Bielski's brothers), were responsible for war crimes against local population. Is Giles Coren suggesting that they should be now immuned from the prosecution?

David, Melbourne,

Would you consider us as less anti-semitic if we close the borders like Swiss did. Leaving all Jews at the border crossing to be packed into trains and send to deathcamps. Get your all gold into "safe" accounts, safe enough you can never get it back? You are very selective about history of Poland.

Slawomir, Milton Keynes, UK

Lighten up on poor Giles, he had one knisch too many...

Roger, London,

Not a single person was burned at the stake because of his/her religion throughout polish history... then 7 mln people killed during IIWW. Jews lived amongst Poles for centuries before that

mike, London, UK

Hope, at least Mr Giles Coren knows something about restaurants, but, just in case he is ignorant in judging cooking skills as well as he is in the history, I promise to read his articles and refrain from visiting sites he recommends. HopeI can influence some of well off british friends from London.

Tomasz, Hitchin, UK

Imagine a story (completely made-up) of my great-grandfather who left Poland after being evicted from his house through an usurious interest on a loan from a local Jewish inn-keeper. Would you expect me to say that "my sympathy for the plight of the modern Kike is thus limited"?
You do just that.

Mike, NY, US

Dir Sir!
How long Poland must to explain serveral FACTS?Ignorants in the newspapers should to know:
1. Antisemitism is unacceptable in Poland but we have freedom of speech
2. GERMANS build the camps!
4. Check "Gestapo" in wikipedia
The German terror was a fact, our reality. That was not a movie!

Robert, Dublin, Ireland

This article is what happens when food columnists write about things they do not have the slightest idea about.

Marcin, Bristol, UK

Concentrations camps were in Poland for two reasons - Poles were also considered sub-humans (like all other Slavs) and were to be made slaves and later exterminated (first people in Auschwitz were Polish) and the most of the European Jews lived in Poland after they were expelled from Western Europe

Helena, Warsaw, Poland

I willadd that my great- grandfather was send to the concentration camps in Sachsenhausen and then Dachau only for being Polish professor in October 1939 with ALL other professors of the oldest Polish University in Cracow. My grandmother was sent to Germany to work as a slave for being Pole

Helena, Warsaw, Poland

Sir,

Let's play that game and remind ourselves that Jews claim to have exterminated a few small nations (Amalekites anyone?) and take pride in it! The moral Zeitgeist is moving steadily. A few incidents in rural uneducated Poland "more than 100 years" ago do not give you right to despise us today.

Maciej Trybilo, Glasgow, UK

What a load of nonsense. And for Leila Cumber to say that if it weren't for the complicity of Poland and Lithuania, this wouldn't have happened... Are you aware that 3 million non-Jewish Poles died during the Holacaust, alongside the 3 million Jewish Poles? Hardly evidence of complicity.

Ewa, Krakow, Poland

this article is outrageous and offensive! you call as racists? and how about you?
and maybe read some history, coz apparently you have no idea...or maybe you have and you just hate us because we are polish?

Magda, Manchester,

How stupid a man can be ;-)

Rob, Warsaw,

In a recent visit to Poland, the president of Israel, Simon Peres, acknowledged that Poland is not responsible for the Holocaust. I guess he's on Poland's payroll. Same for Israeli scholars who write that in general Poles did not participate in large-scale killings of Jews unlike many others.

Kate, Toronto, Canada

I would suggest Mr Coren read a bit more-or at least some-history of the Holocaust,,WW2 & Polish history before making rash generalisations and comments verging on rascist.

Chester Perry., Mini Warszawa,

Your article is wrong and offensive. Read about Zegota, a Polish organisation which saved thousands of Jewish lives during the war and whose many members were executed by the Germans. Read about Yad Vashem and the Righteous Among the Nations honours list. Until then stick to restaurants.

AT, London, UK

Hmm, the author should better read history lessons. By the end of XIX and beginning of XX century Poland was under tsarist Russia occupation. Since 1880 Russian authorities initiated systematic policy of antisemitism what led to massive "pogroms" in many Russian provinces. That how it came to Poland

Ziggi, Warsaw, Poland

And people wonder why antisemitism exists...

GREG., Berlin, Germany

Poland was the Jews' home in Europe for 500 years. Poland was the first European country to pass laws protecting Jews. At the outbreak of the Second World War, 90 or 95% of Europe's Jews were in Poland. There were Polish cities with more Jews than in England or France.

Anton Black, London,

Why do so many people think in binary extremes, as if EITHER all Poles are Jew-murdering bigots OR all Poles are virtuous heroes who saved the Jews? The truth is not so black and white. Some Poles DID commit various atrocities against Jews, and some Poles DID heroically save Jews during WW2.

russ, Wrocław, PL

Mr. Coren might like to consider why there were so many Jews in Poland to be massacred by the Nazis. When the Jews were fleeing Germany, many of the surrounding countries limited their entry, Poland said "come in, you're welcome".

Richard Majewicz, Peterborough, UK

As a Jewish academic and journalist I was insulted by this article, which is an indigestible mixture of ignorance and chutzpah.

Gennady Estraikh, New York

Gennady Estraikh, New York,

Well, talking about those Poles who saved their lifes means no profit for them so forget it! Maybe you should see this to uderstand what is it about:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tJCcjIpbs58

Anna, Manchester,

What about Irena Sendler and the thousands of Poles who hid and saved Jews from the Nazis?
See her obit in the Times on: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3918822.ece
She saved about 2,500 Jewish children mainly by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto
Barbara S, London

Barbara Stryjak, London, England

Think on another version of your history, Mr Coren.
Maybe your grandpa simply came back to the place where
"once upon the time" his ancestors were repelled from.
This changes the optics, doesn't it?
By the way, repelled twice?
What strange is going on with you, folks?

Stop libel us.

Maria , the Pollack., Poland, Poland

Ex-Yugoslavia close to Poland? Incorrect. The EU being expand-at-all-costs? Incorrect. Complete ignorance of the Poles who helped the Jews, or themselves perished during WW2? To have this article taken with the gravitas Mr Coren expects, he ought to do some research beyond family anecdotes.

Maria, London, UK

Mr Coren - do you know what Yad Vashem is? And why they grow plant lots of trees there? Most of them are planted in memory of Polish people, who saved Jews. I suggest you'd better stick to restaurants 'cos history is not your strong point.

Edward, Opole, Poland

What a relief for Poles Mr Giles hasn't gone back!
Immigrant Trotsky and his team came back to Russia from the lower East Side and look what befell Russia then!

Maryann, NY, USA

Serbia is near Austria wich was part of Thirth Reich, Benito Mussolinis Italy, and France wich was collaborate with Thirth Reich (Germany) during WWII. And my ancestors never used to amuse themselves at Easter by locking Jews in the synagogue and setting fire.

Michał, Warsaw, Poland

I was insulted by your piece, my grandfather did not burn down a synagogue, he helped some Jewish families survive in the forests surrounding Tuchin so that neither the local UPA or the Nazi's could have a go at them. Stereotyping all Poles and calling us Polacks undermines Jew-Pole reconciliation.

Lukasz Cholodecki, Chicago, USA

An example of a modern "Polack": Bronislaw Geremek His father, a rabbi was murdered in Auschwitz. His mother and he were smuggled out of the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943 and were sheltered in another Polish family's home
Geremek was in the 80s a leading opposition figure, he led Poland into Nato and the EU

Mirek, London,

This is one of the most ridiculous articles I have read for some time. I do suggest Mr Coren reads up on his 'facts' regarding polish history and re-writes his article on a more accountable basis.

Magda, London, England

Why there were so many Jews in these coutries if they were hated so much? Weird...

Doug, Howell, USA

by the way have a look here, perhaps this will show you other side of poor Mr Giles story: http://www.zyciezazycie.pl/ choose english flag for Uk version.

Matt, Manchester, UK

Eight hundred years ago, Poland opened her gates to the persecuted Jews in all Europe. They flocked there and enjoyed complete freedom; they were even allowed to form a “state within a state,”. The Polish people were their friends, the Jews are against the land that sheltered them for 800 years!

valmerte, Warsaw, Poland

Poland and Lithuania. Well done, Giles, for speaking the truth about the history of these two countries. If it wasn't for the complicity of the indigenous people of these countries the Nazis would not have been able to proceed with their 'final solution' (holocaust) of the Jews.

Leila Cumber, London, England

You're not bitter then Giles?

judy, Liverpool, England

My grandfather couldn't go back to Poland in 1945 because the Communists had taken over - because of Churchill and Roosevelt at Yalta. He fought with the British at Monte Cassino.

Poles did more to save the Jews than most Europeans, and King Kazimierz's amnesty allowed the Jews to settle there.

Ben, York,

"Lithuania - which was part of the same state as Poland until 1795"

So all Lithuanian crimes are therefore also Polish crimes???

Are Italian crimes also British because Britain was once part of the Roman Empire???????

Ericnave, Melbourne, Australia

Don't worry too much about it Ian Payne, with the exception of a few close loved ones , we are all soon forgotten,also anything we may have achieved. we are just links in the chain,joining the past to the future

Eddy, Bury St.Edmunds,

And how many Polish people helped their Jewish neigbours?? I believe you didn't bother to do any research!!!

Anna, Dublin, Ireland

What a mishmash article that is!
One must wonder where has the famous political correctness gone? The negative referencess to Poland and Poles must be based on a very fragmented knowledge not only of Polish history but also about the Polish nation and geografii of Europe.
Trip to Poland could help

Kasia Kowalska, London,

What a mishmash!
Lots of negative referencess and accusations about Poland and Poles based on very fragmented knowlege of Polish history, and Poles.
Thank goodness we dont ask for your sympathy.
Lituania was not a part of the same state but a part of a union between Kingdom of Poland and Lituania.

Kasia Kowalska, London,

Women smoke with one arm because they are trying (in vain) to cover up their plump tummy. They think that if they keep smoking (i.e the ridiculous fallacy: "I will put on weight if I stop smoking") they will avoid gaining even more weight.

N H Stevens, Montaigu-de-Quercy, France

My father-in-law left Worn torn Europe and headed for the UK also for a life. He knew Poland was doomed in 1945 and gave his total committment to helping build a modern Britain.

Is he remembered for this ? NO !!!!

ian payne, walsall,