Project Syndicate: Jarosław Kaczyński’s Jewish Question
The hardships of war induce some to display courage and others to engage in shameful behavior. A Polish law defies history to prohibit “publically and untruthfully” assigning “responsibility or co-responsibility to the Polish Nation or the Polish State for Nazi crimes committed by the Third German Reich (…) or for other crimes constituting crimes against peace, crimes against humanity, or war crimes, or in some other way markedly diminishes the responsibility of the true perpetrators.” The attempt to deflect criticism highlights Poland's role during World War II. “While the law includes exemptions for scholarly publications and artistic works, it applies to journalistic writing, posing a threat to open public debate,” writes Sławomir Sierakowski for Project Syndicate. Israel expresses concern about testimonies and personal histories of Holocaust survivors. The United States, Ukraine and Germany warned Poland of foreign-policy repercussions. – YaleGlobal
Project Syndicate: Jarosław Kaczyński’s Jewish Question
New law, by criminalizing blaming Poles for Nazi crimes, highlights complicity in the Holocaust and jeopardizes alliances with Germany, US and Ukraine
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Read the article about Poland’s law attempting to deflect blaming Poles for Nazi crimes during World War II.
Sławomir Sierakowski, founder of the Krytyka Polityczna movement, is director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Warsaw.
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© Project Syndicate - 2018