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The powerful leader of Poland's ruling party says the president should approve a divisive bill that criminalizes certain statements about the Holocaust.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski told Poland's state radio Saturday the bill — which has ignited a dispute with Israel — is being misunderstood.

It penalizes anyone who blames Poles as a nation for the World War II crimes committed by Nazi Germany. Israel and the United States say the proposed law would infringe on free speech about the Holocaust.

Kaczynski said the bill "is being interpreted totally wrong." He says it penalizes accusing Poles as a nation but not "someone who says that somewhere, in some village, some place, a Jewish family or one Jewish person was murdered."

He says "such things did happen and we never denied that."