From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 28, 2021
Poland dismisses Israeli criticism of restitution law as ‘inappropriate’
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Poland’s deputy foreign minister says he hopes Israel will change its view on a bill that could cut off World War II restitution claims in an increasingly bitter diplomatic row.
The bill, which passed the lower house of parliament last week, is intended to provide greater legal certainty for current owners of prewar properties against historical claims dating back to the Nazi German occupation. But critics say it could effectively block descendants of Jewish families from claiming properties left empty during the Holocaust and Israel has condemned the legislation as “immoral.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski speaks after Israel’s charge d’affaires in Warsaw, Tal Ben-Ari Yaalon, was summoned to the Polish foreign ministry to be briefed on the new law.
Jablonski says in a televised briefing after the meeting that Israeli criticism is “inappropriate” and “we hope that the approach of the Israeli side will change.”
Jablonski says critics in Israel “refer to the issue of the Holocaust, which this law does not address in any way. This demonstrates, I have the impression, a lack of knowledge of the facts.”
“This law is not aimed against anybody,” he says, adding that “the political debate in Israel is dominated by views that are either critical of Poland or are simply anti-Polish.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry also summoned Poland’s ambassador to Israel, Marek Magierowski, yesterday.
Magierowski has now attempted to explain the matter in a lengthy Twitter thread.
The amendment to the Polish Code of Administrative Procedure: an explanatory thread. With some historical background and – this time – in English. #WW2 #Restitution #Holocaust ⬇️
1/12 pic.twitter.com/5BjziSICVJ
— Marek Magierowski (@mmagierowski) June 28, 2021
The Times of Israel Community.