US Secretary of State Blinken objects to an amendment to Polish law that would bar property claims after 30 years. The measure also affects heirs of Polish Jews who lost their property during the occupation of the country by Nazi Germany. Their possessions were confiscated by the communist rulers in the post-war period.
The Polish parliament approved the amendment to the law yesterday, but Blinken asks Polish President Duda to stop it. Blinken says Poland needs a separate law to handle Holocaust-related property claims. He asks President Duda not to sign the amendment approved by parliament.
Israel
Israel also opposes the amendment of the law. “It harms the memory of the Holocaust and the rights of its victims,” said Secretary of State Lapid.
The Polish government takes the view that the amendment restores citizens’ confidence in the rule of law. “The ability to challenge government officials’ decisions cannot last indefinitely,” the State Department said in June.
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