Poland dismisses Israeli anger over Holocaust restitution law as ‘unfounded’

The Polish Foreign Ministry dismisses as “unfounded” Israel’s anger over a law passed by Warsaw that effectively prevents Jewish heirs to property seized by the Nazis during World War II from reclaiming it.

The ministry says Poland will respond to Jerusalem’s retaliatory steps, which have including pulling its ambassador to Poland and advising Warsaw’s envoy not to return to the Tel Aviv embassy.

“The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes a negative view of actions taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and the unfounded decision to lower the rank of its diplomatic representation in Warsaw,” the ministry tweets.

“Steps taken by Israel very severely harm our relations. The Polish government will take appropriate political and diplomatic measures, taking into account the principle of symmetry applicable in bilateral relations,” it adds.