Abstract
This article describes the distribution of Polish books in Israel in the context of postwar Polish- Israeli diplomatic relations, which developed under pressure exerted by the Soviet Union and by its relationship with the Arab world. Because a large number of Israeli citizens were of Polish origin, cultural exchange was one of the main points of commercial contract that governed the importation of Polish books to Israel. The arrival of a large number of Polish Jews, mainly as part of the “Gomułka aliyah,” created huge demand for books in Polish, not only fiction but also scientific books and specialist literature. The Israeli newspapers used this large inflow of publications in Polish to present the Jewish state as one that was close to Poland, related to Poland throughout history, and also to contrast this world with the Arab world—distant and lacking close cultural connections to the country on the Vistula River.
