Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 19 February 2018

Polish PM seeks dialogue with Israel on 'difficult history'

duct such dialogue with Is- criminalizes falsely blaming
rael," Morawiecki wrote on Poles for Holocaust crimes
Twitter. that were committed by
Jewish leaders in Israel and Nazi Germany during its
elsewhere condemned occupation of Poland. The
Morawiecki's comment journalist said his parents'
as anti-Semitic. Sunday's families were reported to
telephone conversation the Nazis by Polish neigh-
was the second one that bors and asked if he would
Morawiecki and Netan- be charged if he had relat-
yahu had in three weeks in ed the story in Poland.
connection to the new law. “Of course it’s not going
Netanyahu's office said to be punishable, not go-
he told Morawiecki that "a ing to be seen as criminal,
comparison between the to say that there were Pol-
activities of Poles and the ish perpetrators, as there
activities of Jews during the were Jewish perpetrators,
Holocaust is unfounded." as there were Russian per-
The two prime ministers petrators, as there were
agreed to work together to Ukrainian, not only German
soothe the intense feelings perpetrators,” Morawiecki
Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks at the Security Conference in Munich, Ger- in both their countries. said in response.
many, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. In a sign of the tension be- The president of the World
(Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP) tween the two nations, Jewish Congress, Ronald S.
By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA phone conversation with slong diplomatic dispute someone painted black Lauder, issued a statement
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Ben- over Poland's new law pro- swastikas, expletives and demanding an “immedi-
Poland's prime minister said jamin Netanyahu. The call hibiting some statements the word "murderer" on the ate retraction and apol-
Sunday that dialogue with was prompted by a com- about the Holocaust. The entrance to Poland's Em- ogy” from Poland. Lauder
Israel about the Holocaust ment the Polish politician law reflects the current Pol- bassy in Tel Aviv, Israeli po- said that putting Jews in
is necessary and would made that equated Polish ish government's approach lice said Sunday. They have the same category as the
serve as a warning to pre- collaborators in the Holo- to World War II history, launched an investigation. other nationalities was
vent such "exceptionally caust to alleged "Jewish which focuses on Poland's Morawiecki made the criti- “nothing short of an at-
terrifying" crimes from hap- perpetrators." suffering and heroism. cized comment as he was tempt to falsify history that
pening again. The remark, given Saturday "Dialogue about this most responding to an Israeli rings of the very worst forms
Mateusz Morawiecki tweet- at the Munich Security Con- difficult history is necessary, journalist's question about of anti-Semitism and Holo-
ed his thoughts after a tele- ference, reignited a week- as a warning. We will con- the new Polish law, which caust obfuscation.”q

Latvian member of European Central Bank detained in probe

By CARLO PIOVANO Saturday night and leav- Rimsevics "should resign haven for money launder- sits on the top policymak-
LONDON (AP) — Latvia's ing early Sunday, following from his post at least for the ing that allegedly bribed ing council of the ECB, Eu-
top banking official, a key what the broadcaster said time of the investigation." local officials. She made no rope's most powerful finan-
member of the European was a raid on his office and The finance minister noted connection between the cial institution, and is privy
Central Bank, was de- property. that the Latvian parliament bank and Rimsevics. to the state secrets of Lat-
tained Sunday after being Prime Minister Maris Kucin- cannot force Rimsevics out Latvia's president called for via as well as those of NATO
questioned for hours by skis confirmed that Rim- unless there is evidence a meeting of the National and the European Union.
anti-corruption authorities sevics, 52, was being de- of a crime, as the central Security Council to discuss Any connections to money
amid accusations of brib- tained, but didn't provide bank is independent by the situation in the banking laundering, experts said,
ery and money laundering details. Neither Rimsevics law. sector. will raise concerns of the
in the European nation's fi- nor his lawyer could be Reizniece-Ozola did not The anti-corruption agen- risk of blackmail from Rus-
nancial system. immediately reached for specify why Rimsevics was cy, the Bank of Latvia and sia, where the secret ser-
Latvian state TV showed Il- comment. detained. However, she the European Central Bank vices and organized crime
mars Rimsevics arriving at During a news conference cited a U.S. Treasury report all declined to comment. largely control the flow of
the offices of the country's Sunday, Finance Minister Tuesday that singled out a Rimsevics' arrest is particu- illegal cross-border money
anti-corruption agency Dana Reizniece-Ozola said Latvian bank, ABLV, as a larly sensitive because he transfers.q