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Viewing cable 07WARSAW498, PM KACZYNSKI AIMS TO PASS RESTITUTION LAW IN 2007

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07WARSAW498 2007-03-01 14:42 2011-08-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Warsaw
VZCZCXRO1809
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHWR #0498/01 0601442
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011442Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3384
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 1477
RUEHKW/AMCONSUL KRAKOW PRIORITY 1599
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000498 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/NCE FOR PUTNEY 
EUR/OHI FOR KENNEDY AND BECKER 
DRL/SEAS FOR RICKMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PL
SUBJECT: PM KACZYNSKI AIMS TO PASS RESTITUTION LAW IN 2007 
 
WARSAW 00000498  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY The Conference on Jewish Material Claims 
Against Germany (the Conference) held its annual meeting in 
Warsaw from February 26-28, in part to press the GOP for 
passage of a law for restitution or compensation for property 
taken by the Nazi and Communist regimes.  In meetings with 
the group, PM Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Sejm Speaker Marek Jurek 
stated their desire to enact legislation soon and pledged 
their support.  Both reinforced that 15% compensation is the 
practical budgetary limit.  The PM's comments during the 
meeting, and especially his public statement committing to 
fully support passage of legislation are the first signs of 
real GOP commitment to restitution, and represent a positive 
shift in the GOP position.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (U) The Jewish Claims Conference held its annual meeting 
in Warsaw from February 26-28.  The meeting was aimed at 
pressing the GOP to pass legislation to provide restitution 
or financial compensation for property confiscated by the 
Nazis and communist government.  Poland is the last major 
country in Eastern and Central Europe not to have passed a 
private restitution law.  The GOP estimates that over 80% of 
potential claimants would be non-Jews, so Poland is the first 
country in which the Conference is actively reaching out to 
non-Jewish groups in lobbying efforts.  On February 28, 
fifteen members of the Claims Conference delegation, 
accompanied by Ambassador and Poloff, held separate meetings 
with PM Kaczynski, Sejm Speaker Jurek, and Treasury Ministry 
Director Skuprownik. 
 
3. (U) The Conference advocated four points during the 
meetings:  1) The GOP has a moral obligation to quickly pass 
a restitution law, as many victims are in their 80s; 2) the 
procedure to file a claim should be inexpensive and 
uncomplicated; 3) the amount of compensation should be much 
higher than the 15% of property value contained in the 
proposed legislation; and 4) the legislation should treat all 
claimants equally regardless of religion or residency of the 
claimant, i.e., Jews and non-Jews, current Polish citizens 
and former citizens now living abroad. 
 
4. (SBU) Sejm Speaker Jurek stated his desire to steer 
legislation to completion this year and that he too believes 
that restitution is a matter of morality and justice.  He 
repeated this in a press release following the meeting.  He 
emphasized the GOP's position that 15% restitution is the 
practical budgetary limit.  Ministry of Treasury Director 
Skuprownik noted that the GOP has already set aside 2 Billion 
zloty (over $625 million) to fund eventual claims.  The 
latest amendment to the existing bill will be made public on 
Monday, March 5, and then debated in the Inter-Ministerial 
Committee. 
 
5. (SBU) PM Kaczynski, who spent an hour with the group, 
remarked that this was Poland's twelfth attempt at passing 
restitution legislation, and said he would do all he could to 
get the law passed in 2007.  He publicly reiterated this in a 
press release shortly after the meeting.  He also reinforced 
that 15% is the maximum possible.  Ambassador urged the PM to 
do what he could to expedite passage of a law and urged that 
any claim mechanism be streamlined. 
 
6. (U) The meeting received widespread coverage in the local 
and international media.  While there were some exaggerated 
descriptions of the group's intents, the mainstream media 
generally focused on the facts.  They also highlighted an 
event the Conference held to honor Polish Gentiles who had 
rescued Jews during the Holocaust.  Some right-wing groups 
played the nationalist card, although they represent a small 
minority.  The ultra-nationalistic Polish National Movement 
organized demonstrations in front of the American and Israeli 
Embassies and Presidential Palace.  Fewer than ten people 
showed up with signs saying "Who Supported Hitler's Banks?" 
and "Elders of Zion--Not in Poland."  In a similarly small 
gesture, as the delegation left the meeting at the Sejm, a 
single protester waved a large sign that accused the Jewish 
group of being "Vampires." 
 
7. (SBU) During the meeting with the PM, one of the Claims 
Conference members raised the issue of Euro MP Maciej 
Giertych's recently published anti-Semitic booklet.  The PM 
responded by instructing the group not to confuse Maciej 
Giertych with his son, Education Minister Roman Giertych, who 
he called "mainstream" and reflective of the attitude of 
modern Poland.  He did not mention the statement his brother, 
President Lech Kaczynski, issued last week expressing shock 
at the booklet. 
 
WARSAW 00000498  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
8. (SBU) COMMENT: The Embassy urged Conference 
representatives to approach the GOP in a constructive manner, 
and the group did so, with many expressing a continuing 
emotional attachment to Poland.  The PM's comments during the 
meeting, especially his public statement committing to full 
support of the legislation, are critical to any chance of the 
parliament to enact this law in 2007.  PM Kaczynski is the 
key player in moving the legislation forward, and his 
statements reflect a greater willingness to address this 
matter seriously.  While many Jewish groups are not satisfied 
with the proposed 15% level of compensation (the Conference 
President publicly demanded 100% restitution), it may be the 
best deal that can be achieved with the GOP. 
ASHE