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Poland has as from tonight joined a string of countries who desire to interpret history in a more nationalistically positive manner when the Warsaw Senate approved a controversial bill making it illegal to accuse Poles of complicity in the Nazi holocaust during the second world war.

The draft law had already caused quite a stir in Israel and even the US state department asked the Poles to ‘rethink’ the new law, saying they were ‘concerned’ the legislation could undermine free speech in the country and cause further diplomatic division.

But Poland went ahead and voted in the upper house of the Polish parliament approving the bill with 57 votes to 23, with two abstaining.

Also Read<a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/16968-Poland-To-Criminalize-The-Phrase-Polish-Death-Camp#17048"> Poland To Criminalize The Phrase 'Polish Death Camp' </a>.

The new law makes it illegal to describe Nazi death camps in Poland as Polish whilst it also sets fines or a maximum three-year jail term as punishment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu objected on behalf of his citizens, stating: "I strongly oppose it. One cannot change history and the Holocaust cannot be denied."

However, Polish President Andrzej Duda claimed that his country had the right "to defend the historical truth."

As said in the opening paragraph of this article, Poland is not alone in interpreting history in its own fashion. For example, Japan has long been criticized for its school history books which make no mention of the Japanese occupation of parts of China, Belgium eases out of its violent Congo past when teaching their children at school and Germany goes over both world wars with a certain ease in their history textbooks as well. Lastly, in Europe children are taught differently about ‘how the West was won’ when it comes to the American capture of their nation’s territory then it is explained in the USA.

If Poland feels that the phrase ‘Polish death camp’ is unjust (as Poland was occupied by the Germans during the second world war), and a majority of the Poles voted this government in office, then from a legal standpoint they did nothing wrong according to their constitution just now.

Source:

https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/polish-senate-begins-debate-on-controversial-holocaust-bill-1.5784412