|
|
| By: Associated Press |
| Published: May 4, 2006 |
| |
The Anti-Defamation League expressed concern Tuesday that Poland's government has sealed a coalition with "bigots and extremists," and urged the prime minister to halt the deal until a controversial leader renounces past remarks deemed anti-Semitic.
Poland's governing Law and Justice party strengthened its minority government last week by signing a coalition deal with the farm-based Self-Defense party and seven members of the ultra-Catholic League of Polish Families. A new Cabinet is scheduled to be formed Friday, and the government hopes to eventually win over enough lawmakers from the League of Polish Families to achieve a majority in parliament.
"We are concerned that in order to create a majority government, bigots and extremists are going to come into the Cabinet," said Ben Cohen, the Anti-Defamation League's director of European affairs. "It's very worrying and unfortunate that the prospects of a coalition government rest on the two most troublesome parties in Poland."
The New York-based group, which is devoted to fighting anti-Semitism worldwide, cited past statements by Self-Defense leader Andrzej Lepper supportive of the French neo-fascist leader Jean-Marie Le Pen and praise of Adolf Hitler's economic policies.
Lepper looks set to become the deputy prime minister in the new Cabinet.
Cohen also noted that Lepper received an honorary doctorate from a private Ukrainian university "run by a cabal of vicious anti-Semites" that disseminates anti-Jewish propaganda.
"We would expect Mr. Lepper, if he is adopting a high Cabinet post, to absolutely renounce any links with (the university) and to publicly recognize the nature of that institution," Cohen told The Associated Press by phone.
Lepper's office told AP it had no comment on the matter.
Cohen also said his group was concerned about the League of Polish Families for its use of anti-Jewish rhetoric - such a railing against "Judeo-Communist" plots - and its closeness to Radio Maryja, a controversial Roman Catholic radio station.
Polish prosecutors opened an investigation Friday into a Radio Maryja commentator who accused Jews in a late March broadcast of making a "business" of Holocaust reparation payments.
On Monday, Anti-Defamation League Director Abraham Foxman sent a letter to Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz urging him to reject the coalition deal with the two small parties. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
