Tomasz Rzymkowski, deputy head of Poland’s Kukiz’15 party, announced on Wednesday that he intends to submit a bill on Thursday, Holocaust Memorial Day, “securing Poland against Jewish claims.”
Punk rock musician turned party leader Paweł Kukiz explained on Facebook that “in order to protect Poland as much as possible against possible Jewish claims resulting from US law 447, we are submitting a bill for the protection of property of the Republic of Poland against claims relating to unattached property.”
Kukiz’15 was founded in 2015 by Kukiz after his run in the 2015 presidential election, winning 21% of the vote and finishing third in the first round. The party currently has 26 out of the 460 seats in the Sejm (pronounced Same) lower house.
The US Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act of 2017 requires the Department of State to report to Congress regarding the identification and return of, or restitution for assets wrongfully seized or transferred during the Holocaust era, including:
The return to the rightful owner of wrongfully seized or transferred property, including religious or communal property, or the provision of comparable substitute property or the payment of equitable compensation; the restitution of heirless property to assist needy Holocaust survivors; and progress on the resolution of claims for U.S.-citizen Holocaust survivors and family members.
“Covered countries” are participants in the 2009 Holocaust Era Assets Conference that are determined by the State Department, in consultation with expert nongovernmental organizations, to be countries of particular concern relative to the restitution of Holocaust-era assets.
According to Polish news website wyborcza.pl, “the 447 right-wing law adopted by the US Congress scares voters in Poland. According to the politicians of the Confederation Kukiz’15, but also part of [Law and Justice national-conservative, Christian democratic party] PiS, it serves to demand in the future compensation from the Polish state for real estate lost during World War II by Polish Jews. It is to apply to property for which there are no claims from former owners or their heirs.”
Those Polish Jews, they just keep losing their real estate, why can’t they be more careful?