AJC Central
Europe, an advocacy group, pointed to a report on public broadcaster TVP’s
flagship news show on Thursday that asked if opposition candidate Rafal
Trzaskowski would “comply with Jewish demands”, touching on the sensitive issue
of Jewish property restitution.
Home to one
of the world’s largest Jewish communities before World War Two, Poland is the
only European Union country that has not legislated on restoring property to
pre-war Jewish owners or their descendants, despite U.S. pressure.
“What’s
wrong with Polish public TV?... Yesterday it again warned against ‘satisfying
Jewish demands’. Is that b/c you assume this hateful campaign would speak to
many Poles? Think about what message that sends,” the AJC tweeted.
In a statement to Reuters, the AJC said it had been shocked by Polish public television’s use of “antisemitic tropes”.What's wrong with Polish public TV? The evening news @WiadomosciTVP is seemingly obsessed with #LGBT & #Jews.— AJC Central Europe (@AJC_CE) July 10, 2020
Yesterday, it again warned against "satisfying Jewish demands." Is that b/c you assume this hateful campaign would speak to many Poles? Think abt what message that sends. pic.twitter.com/N8PPBdalNt
“It’s one thing when such messages are spread by fringe
far-right groups. It’s something quite different when this is done by state TV
funded with taxpayers’ money,” it said.
International monitors have accused the public broadcaster
of being heavily biased in its coverage of Polish politics.
The public broadcaster has previously criticised Trzaskowski
for suggesting, while deputy foreign minister, that Poland should negotiate
with Jewish groups on property restitution.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the ruling Law and Justice
Party, which is backing President Andrzej Duda in Sunday’s election runoff, on
Thursday accused Trzaskowski of lacking patriotism for his stance on
restitution.
“How could anyone with even a bit of Polish soul, of Polish
heart... say something like this? Trzaskowski clearly doesn’t have this as he
thinks this is a matter to discuss,” Kaczynski said in an interview for
Catholic broadcaster TV Trwam.
Trzaskowski slammed Kaczynski’s comments on Friday.
“This is exactly what this election is about - whether we
will live in a country where the leader of the ruling party can say that we are
trash, that we don’t have a Polish heart, a Polish soul,” Trzaskowski told
supporters.
