In Israel, re is a strong criticism that Poland is tightening up a penal rule to say about Nazi death camps. Anyone who uses historically incorrect term "Polish death camp" for German extermination camps in occupied Poland during Second World War will be liable for a fine or up to three years in prison under new regime. In Israel it is feared that such a law could be misused to deny role poles in crimes against Jews during Holocaust.
"The law is inappropriate, I reject it strictly," said Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on International Holocaust Memorial Day. "You cannot change story, and Holocaust cannot be denied." He instructed Israeli ambassador in Poland to meet Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and protest against law.
The controversial penal tightening had been approved by Warsaw Parliament, in which ruling party has an absolute majority in law and Justice (PiS). With stricter penalties, government wants to better protect country's reputation and its citizens abroad. Vice-Justice Minister Patryk Jaki argued that by often careless use of term "Polish camp" for Nazi extermination camps, Poland has repeatedly been attributed a shared responsibility for German crimes. Art and science are exempt from scheme. The law is also to apply abroad. In opinion of lawyers, however, this will be difficult to implement.
The Israeli Holocaust memorial site Yad Vashem was critical of law. There is no doubt that term "Polish death camp" constitutes a distortion of history. "The extermination camps were built in occupied Poland by Nazi Germany, with aim of assassinating Jews in context of ' Final Solution '", Yad Vashem opinion stated. The new Polish regime could, however, "lead to cover-up of historical truth that Germans received support from Polish people during Holocaust". The memorial in Jerusalem warned against "restricting statements of researchers and ors about a complicity of Polish people".
Israeli politician criticizes "Polish complicity"Israeli opposition politician Jair Lapid, son of a Holocaust survivor, wrote on Twitter: "I criticize new law in Poland, which tries to deny participation of many Polish citizens in Holocaust." Lapid spoke of a Polish complicity. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were murdered on Polish soil, "without ever meeting a German officer," wrote Lapid in Hebrew. In English he wrote: "There were Polish death camps, and no law can ever change that."
In response, Polish Embassy in Israel replied on Twitter: "Their intolerable statements prove need for Holocaust education, even here in Israel." On or hand, Lapid: "I am son of a Holocaust survivor. My grandmor was murdered in Poland by Poland and Germans. I don't need a Holocaust education from m. " Lapid demanded an apology.
Israeli president Reuven Rivlin warned against falsification of history: "Even among poles re were those who helped Nazis in ir crimes. Every crime, every offense must be condemned. "
This Saturday is International Holocaust Memorial Day. On 27 January 1945 Soviet troops had liberated Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp. About 1.1 million people were murdered re.
Date Of Update: 28 January 2018, 12:02
