A Visegrad Four summit in Israel has been cancelled after Poland announced it would not be attending the meeting over a diplomatic row with Israel.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said just hours before his scheduled departure for Israel that the summit would be replaced by bilateral talks. In addition to talks with Israeli officials the Czech prime minister will pay a visit to the Czech House in Jerusalem and lay a wreath at the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre Yad Vashem.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki cancelled his participation at the summit after media reported remarks by Israel's prime minister suggesting Polish complicity in the Holocaust. Although Israel insists that the prime minister’s words were misinterpreted, and he had only referred to individuals, the row has deepened and Poland said on Monday that no Polish representative would be travelling to Israel for the summit.