Polish faction to submit bill to prevent WWII property reparations

The Kukiz 15 faction plans to submit a bill interpreted as preventing Jews from claiming reparations for property lost in the Holocaust.

By ZACK EVANS

MAY 2, 2019 10:43

Pawel Kukiz of Kukiz '15 party addressess supporters after the exit poll results are announced in Warsaw, Poland October 25, 2015. (photo credit: REUTERS/AGENCJA GAZETA/ALBERT ZAWADA) — Pawel Kukiz of Kukiz '15 party addressess supporters after the exit poll results are announced in Warsaw, Poland October 25, 2015.

(photo credit: REUTERS/AGENCJA GAZETA/ALBERT ZAWADA)

The Polish Kukiz 15 faction will present a bill to "prevent frivolous reparation suits" for property lost during World War II, according to a report from Kan on Thursday.

The reparation suits, widely interpreted as referring to suits brought by Jews aiming to reclaim property lost in the Holocaust, can be prosecuted through state courts.

The announcement of the party's announcement of its intention to submit the bill will come as Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Yair Lapid, one of the leaders of the Blue-and-White faction in the Knesset, reacted harshly to the report, writing on Twitter, "It isn't enough for them that Jewish blood cries out from Polish soil, so now we've received more proof that there are antisemitic forces in Poland that dare to raise their heads at the same time that we mark Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel.

לא מספיק להם שדם היהודים זועק מתוך אדמת פולין אז עכשיו קיבלנו עוד הוכחה שבפולין יש כוחות אנטישמיים שמעיזים להרים את הראש ועוד בזמן שאנחנו מציינים את יום השואה בישראל. ממשלת ישראל צריכה לדרוש ממשלת פולין לגנוז את החרפה הזאת. https://t.co/Q1F6qd2oew
— יאיר לפיד Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) May 2, 2019

"The government of Israel must demand that the Polish government shelve this disgrace," he continued.

Kukiz 15 is an association that holds 46 seats in the Sejm (Polish parliament), and has an anti-establishment, right-wing platform. It currently sits in the opposition.

The ruling Law and Justice (PiJ) Party will reportedly not support the bill.

Israel and Poland were recently embroiled in a diplomatic spat after Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, in a televised interview, quoted former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir as saying "The Poles imbibe antisemitism with their mothers' milk." In response, Poland withdrew from participation in a scheduled meeting in Jerusalem of the Visegrad Group, comprised of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.