Warsaw: Polandthe deputy foreign minister said on Monday that he hoped that Israel Will change his “stance” on the bill second World War Restoration claims that the Jewish state has denounced as “immoral”.
The bill, passed in the lower house of parliament last week, aims to provide greater legal certainty for property owners against historic claims related to Nazi occupation.
But critics say it could effectively prevent Jews from claiming property confiscated during the Holocaust.
Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski spoke after Israel’s Charge d’Affaires in Warsaw called the Polish Foreign Ministry to brief Tal ben-Eri Yalon about the new law.
Jablonski said in a televised briefing after Monday’s meeting that Israel’s criticism was “unfair” and “we expect the Israeli side’s approach to change”.
Jewish claims to property were barred during the communist era and, unlike other countries in the region, Poland has not had a comprehensive law on restoration claims since the fall of the communist regime in 1989.
Some families who lost property have since sought restoration or compensation, but the process has been chaotic and lengthy.
In some cases, fraudulent claims have been made for reinstatement.
The new law sets a cut-off date for certain legal challenges up to 30 years.
This means that if a person purchased a pre-war property in 1989 and has had a specific official confirmation of its ownership since that time, any previous historical owner would now be excluded from contesting that right.
Jablonski said that critics in Israel “refer to the issue of the Holocaust, which this law does not address in any way. It shows, I think, a lack of knowledge of the facts”.
“This law is not targeted against anyone,” he said.
The new law still has to be passed by the Senate and entered into force to be signed by the President.
The Israeli embassy in Warsaw previously said “this immoral law will seriously affect relations between our countries”.
“This would actually prevent requests for restoration of Jewish property or compensation from Holocaust survivors and their descendants, as well as from the Jewish community that called Poland home for centuries. This is mind-boggling,” the embassy said.
Israel’s foreign ministry also summoned Poland’s ambassador to Israel, Marek Magiarovsky, on Sunday.
The bill, passed in the lower house of parliament last week, aims to provide greater legal certainty for property owners against historic claims related to Nazi occupation.
But critics say it could effectively prevent Jews from claiming property confiscated during the Holocaust.
Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski spoke after Israel’s Charge d’Affaires in Warsaw called the Polish Foreign Ministry to brief Tal ben-Eri Yalon about the new law.
Jablonski said in a televised briefing after Monday’s meeting that Israel’s criticism was “unfair” and “we expect the Israeli side’s approach to change”.
Jewish claims to property were barred during the communist era and, unlike other countries in the region, Poland has not had a comprehensive law on restoration claims since the fall of the communist regime in 1989.
Some families who lost property have since sought restoration or compensation, but the process has been chaotic and lengthy.
In some cases, fraudulent claims have been made for reinstatement.
The new law sets a cut-off date for certain legal challenges up to 30 years.
This means that if a person purchased a pre-war property in 1989 and has had a specific official confirmation of its ownership since that time, any previous historical owner would now be excluded from contesting that right.
Jablonski said that critics in Israel “refer to the issue of the Holocaust, which this law does not address in any way. It shows, I think, a lack of knowledge of the facts”.
“This law is not targeted against anyone,” he said.
The new law still has to be passed by the Senate and entered into force to be signed by the President.
The Israeli embassy in Warsaw previously said “this immoral law will seriously affect relations between our countries”.
“This would actually prevent requests for restoration of Jewish property or compensation from Holocaust survivors and their descendants, as well as from the Jewish community that called Poland home for centuries. This is mind-boggling,” the embassy said.
Israel’s foreign ministry also summoned Poland’s ambassador to Israel, Marek Magiarovsky, on Sunday.
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