Polish state media accuses opposition of supporting Jewish restitution

The issue of restitution of property confiscated from Jews during the Holocaust has long been a contentious issue in Polish politics and has played a major role in tensions between Poland and Israel.

By AARON REICH
Mayor of Warsaw and the presidential candidate of the main Polish opposition party Civic Platform (PO) Rafal Trzaskowski attends an election campaign rally in Oborniki Slaskie, Poland July10, 2020. (photo credit: KRZYSZTOF CWIK/AGENCJA GAZETA VIA REUTERS)
Mayor of Warsaw and the presidential candidate of the main Polish opposition party Civic Platform (PO) Rafal Trzaskowski attends an election campaign rally in Oborniki Slaskie, Poland July10, 2020.
(photo credit: KRZYSZTOF CWIK/AGENCJA GAZETA VIA REUTERS)
A recent Polish state television news report accused the centrist candidate running against the incumbent in Sunday's presidential election of supporting restitution of property taken from Jews during the Holocaust, according to English-language Polish news portal Notes from Poland.
The headline of the news report, “Will Trzaskowski fulfill Jewish demands?,” refers to opposition candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, who is running against the incumbent conservative President Andrzej Duda.
The report was made during the main evening news broadcast of state news channel TVP Info, which is when the government runs attacks on the opposition, Notes from Poland reported.
“Trzaskowski has avoided answering on the subject of war reparations that some Jewish organizations demand,” the presenter said. “It is evidently an uncomfortable question for the candidate.
“President Andrzej Duda says clearly [that] Poles were victims of the Second World War and will not pay for German or Soviet crimes.”
The clip showing Trzaskowski's supposed sympathies to restitution showed the candidate say that the issue is too complex to discuss during his campaign. They also played a clip of him in 2014, when he served as deputy foreign minister, saying that restitution is a matter that “should be discussed with Jewish organizations,” Notes from Poland reported.
The channel previously suggested that Trzaskowski wants to allow Jews to rob Poland of 200 billion zloty in restitution, Notes from Poland reported.
The issue of restitution of property confiscated from Jews during the Holocaust has long been a contentious issue in Polish politics and has played a major role in tensions between Poland and Israel. The conservative Duda has long been staunchly opposed to any restitution efforts, and has been extremely vocal about this opposition as he seeks to appeal to his Catholic, conservative base. Duda is also known for statements against LGBT education in schools.
Poland's presidential election is taking place amid rising tensions the nation is having with the European Union, which has seen Duda trying to deepen judicial reforms that the European Union says increase political control over the courts.
"I believe we can build the Poland we dream of, a fair Poland, a rich Poland, a strong Poland... a Poland that can protect the weak and doesn't have to fear the strong," Duda told supporters on Friday, asking them to compare their standard of living now with what it was before he took office.
However, this is not the first time Duda has been accused of using antisemitism in his attacks on his opponent. Several reports run on TVP Info, including one in June, have propagated conspiracy theories accusing Trzaskowski of working on behalf of a George Soros-linked foreign lobby that was supposedly responsible for bringing Muslim immigrants to Europe and propagate "LGBT ideology," Notes from Poland reported.
In response to these reports, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) filed a complaint to Poland's Council for Media Ethics, an independent institution founded by the Association of Polish Journalists, over these hateful reports. AJC later announced that the council fully supports the complaint.

By contrast to his opponent, Trzaskowski claims to seek a more open, tolerant Poland and has criticized the rhetoric of Duda and his party, PiS, and has vowed to abolish TVP Info.
"Have you ever heard such homophobia, such antisemitism, such attacks on everybody who is brave enough to say 'we have had enough,'" he asked supporters on Friday, contrasting PiS's use of language with that of opposition politicians.
Reuters contributed to this report.


Related Tags
Restitution