This is not the first time Polish politicians have spoken out against “Polish death camps,” and the issue’s appeal is not limited to the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party. Indeed, the issue was first taken up by former Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski. But the new law does not mention death camps. It criminalizes blaming Poles for any wrongdoing against other nations. While the law includes exemptions for scholarly publications and artistic works, it applies to journalistic writing, posing a threat to open public debate. [...]
Indeed, Poland is risking its relationship with its three most important allies – the US, Germany, and Ukraine – which up until now have tolerated the antics of Jarosław Kaczyński, Poland’s de facto leader. Poland now faces the threat of isolation by the West and loss of international influence, leaving the country vulnerable to Vladimir Putin’s revanchist Russia.
Despite much of the Polish elite’s evident horror at the law, Kaczyński will not back away from it. To be clear, Kaczyński, like his deceased twin brother, Lech, is not an anti-Semite. As president, Lech Kaczynski was an enemy of anti-Semitism in Poland and celebrated Hanukkah in a synagogue. In fact, until now, Poland’s government was probably the most pro-Israel in Europe, reflected in its abstention from a recent United Nations General Assembly vote to condemn US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. [...]
At the same time, having expelled the most radical right-wing politicians from the government (Foreign Affairs Minister Witold Waszczykowski, Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, and Minister of the Environment Jan Szyszko), Kaczyński needs to regain the trust of far-right PiS voters. They will be pleased that Poland is standing up to Israel, Ukraine, and, indeed, the entire world.
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