Pole Kaczynski denounces Israel for criticizing war restitution law

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WARSAW – The leader of Poland’s ruling party on Tuesday condemned Israel’s comments about a new law that could impact the return of Jewish property after World War II and said the country owed no one anything.

Poland was home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the world until it was almost completely wiped out by the Nazis. Former landowners and their descendants have been campaigning for compensation since the fall of communism in 1989.

However, the Polish parliament passed a bill in June that should make it more difficult for Jews to reclaim property – drawing criticism from Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid who said it was “a shame. “.

Ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said Lapid’s comments were unacceptable, in excerpts from an interview for Polish weekly Gazeta Polska posted online.

“We make our laws ourselves, and… we don’t owe anyone anything,” he added.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The bill, which is to be considered by the upper house of parliament, implements a 2015 ruling by the Polish Constitutional Court that there must be a time limit after which erroneous administrative decisions can no longer be challenged.

Critics say it would put a time limit on restitution requests.

Kaczynski also rekindled Poland’s long-held claim that Germany still owes Poland reparations for World War II.

“There are bills that have not been paid with us. For the crimes and destruction of WWII, Germany owes us over a trillion dollars. “

Some 6 million Poles, including 3 million Polish Jews, were killed in the war and Warsaw was razed to the ground following a 1944 uprising. Germany says all financial claims related to the war have been settled .

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