‘No obligations’: Polish nationalists march against Holocaust compensation law

Hundreds of people marched to the US Embassy in Warsaw as part of a demonstration against US pressure on Poland to compensate Jews who lost property during the Holocaust. The rally has sparked accusations of anti-Semitism.
Nationalist and far-right backers gathered at Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s office on Saturday, where they rallied against US legislation S. 447, also known as the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act. It was signed into law last year and requires the State Department to monitor the restitution of property seized during the Holocaust in dozens of countries.

afal Pankowski, the head of anti-hate group Never Again, told AP that the rally was “probably the biggest openly anti-Jewish street demonstration in Europe in recent years.”

The US State Department’s new envoy on anti-Semitism, Elan Carr, was recently in Warsaw, where he emphasized that the US only wants Poland to fulfil a non-binding commitment it made in 2009 to take action on compensating Holocaust victims. He also stated that Washington recognizes Poland as a victim of Nazi occupation.

Right-wing groups have seen a surge in popularity in Poland, which continues to lock horns with the European Union on issues ranging from environmental protection to judicial reform.