Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, accused Poland of trying to rewrite history on Sunday, as the country pushed legislation that would make it illegal to describe Nazi death camps as "Polish."

In a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said Israel had "no tolerance for the distortion of the truth, the rewriting of history and the denial of the Holocaust."

The controversial bill marks a dramatic step by Poland's nationalist government to enforce its official stance that all Poles were heroes during the war. Historians say many Poles collaborated with the Nazis and committed heinous crimes.

Israel has also summoned its Polish envoy to show its displeasure with the proposals, which could see those who blame Poles for Nazi war crimes fined or even jailed.

The bill, which still still needs approval from Poland's Senate and president, has sparked outrage in Israel, which declared independence in the wake of the Holocaust and is home to the world's largest community of Holocaust survivors.