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The Polish Senate has begun debating a law regulating Holocaust speech which has sparked a diplomatic dispute with Israel.

Senate approval, expected late Wednesday or Thursday, will put the controversial bill a step closer to becoming law. It must still be signed into law by the president, who supports it.

Poland's conservative ruling Law and Justice party authored the bill. It foresees up to three years of prison for any intentional attempt to falsely attribute the crimes of Nazi Germany to the Polish state or people.

Law and Justice says it is fighting the usage of phrases like "Polish death camps" to refer to death camps operated by Nazi Germany.

Israel sees an attempt to whitewash the role some Poles played in the killing of Jews during World War II.