Jewish property at center of rift in Poland

WARSAW — The Polish government canceled a visit by an Israeli delegation that had been planned for Monday, saying the Israeli government made last-minute changes that suggested it would focus on the issue of the restitution of former Jewish property.

The delegation was to have been headed by the director general of the Israeli Ministry for Social Equality, Poland’s Foreign Ministry said as it announced the cancellation.

“The Israeli side made last-minute changes in the composition of the delegation suggesting that the talks would primarily focus on the issues related to property restitution,” the ministry said.

The matter of former Jewish property in Poland is emerging as an emotional issue during campaigning before European elections this month and national elections in the fall. Poland was once home to 3.3 million Jews, but most were murdered by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. Their properties were often looted by Germans and later nationalized by the communist regime. The World Jewish Restitution Organization has been seeking compensation for the properties.

Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II, suffering extensive losses. But Gideon Taylor, head of the World Jewish Restitution Organization, said there is a misconception about his group’s campaign and it is being manipulated for political reasons.

“Poland was a victim country. But what we are talking about here is not property that the Nazis confiscated. We are talking about confiscation after the war, after the Holocaust by the communist government,” Taylor said.