11.11 | POLISH INDEPENDENCE DAY
By Anna Biela Ph.D.
11 / 11 / 2026 / VIEW ROOM
From Poland to Palestine — One wish for freedom, one right to call a place home.
Every year on 11 November, Poland celebrates National Independence Day, commemorating the restoration of its independence in 1918, after 123 years of partitions and foreign rule.
For more than a century, Polish lands were divided between three neighbouring powers: Russia, Prussia and Austria. Yet, despite losing their country, generations of Poles preserved their language, culture, traditions and national identity. Their resilience, determination and belief in freedom kept the idea of an independent Poland alive.
Poland never disappeared from the hearts of its people.
Today, as I celebrate this day, my thoughts also turn to Palestine and the Palestinian people.
Having experienced displacement myself, I feel deeply connected to the meaning of homeland, belonging and the right to live freely. The histories of Poland and Palestine are not identical, but there is a human experience that connects them: the loss of home, the struggle to preserve identity and the longing for self-determination.
For 123 years, Poland was divided between three foreign powers. Today, Palestinians continue to experience displacement, occupation and the loss of homes and communities, while fighting for the right to determine their own future.
I am grateful to the generations of Poles whose resilience made it possible for me to live in an independent country today — a place where I can put down roots, return to and proudly call home.
And this is exactly what I wish for the Palestinian people.
I also believe that Jewish people and Israelis deserve safety, dignity and a homeland where they can live without fear. Centuries of persecution, displacement and antisemitism, including the Holocaust, are an important part of Jewish history. But the suffering of one people cannot justify the suffering or displacement of another.
Having experienced the loss of a homeland should make us more sensitive to the suffering of others.
Palestinians and Jewish people both have deep historical connections to this land. One people’s right to exist, belong and live in security should never come at the expense of another’s.
I don’t pretend to have a simple solution to such a complex conflict. But I know one thing: no nation has the right to erase another people’s identity, history or existence. You can divide territory, destroy homes and force people to migrate, but you cannot erase the identity of a people.
On this 11 November, I celebrate Poland’s freedom and remember those who made it possible.
And from Poland to Palestine, my wish is simple:
May Palestinians one day have an independent country they can call home, just as I do today.
Freedom, dignity, identity and belonging are not privileges reserved for some nations. They are human rights that belong to us all.
Happy Polish Independence Day. 🇵🇱
May every nation know the meaning of freedom, and every people have a place to call home. 🤍