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36 Detroit Jewish News

Maas

Washington

T

he bitter confrontation
between Jewish groups and
the Polish government over
Christian symbols at the
Auschwitz death camp moved a few
steps closer to resolution this week. A
letter from Polish Prime Minister Jerzy
Buzek outlines the steps his govern-
ment is prepared to take to end the
conflict.
The letter to members of the coali-
tion of Jewish and Holocaust groups
that have been negotiating with the
Polish government over the future of
the site was read by an emissary from
Buzek at a private meeting of the
coalition on Monday.
The coalition is led by U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Council chair
Miles Lerman, and includes represen-
tatives of Yad Vashem, World Jewish
Congress, American Jewish
Committee and survivors' groups.
In the letter, Buzek pledged that his
government will "remove all new
crosses at the Gravel Place" as soon as
possible.
Those new crosses were erected this
summer by Polish extremists as nego-
tiators neared an agreement on a pre-
liminary site plan. Coalition officials
say a side agreement would have
resulted in the replacement of the
large "Papal cross" in Auschwitz 1, the
initial flashpoint of the controversy,
with a smaller monument to the Poles
who died there.
Buzek said that if legal action to
remove the new crosses fails, his gov-
ernment would promote a law that
effectively turns over jurisdiction for all
death camp sites to the Polish federal
government. The "Remembrance and
Jewish Martyrology Sites Protection
Act," he wrote, "will constitute a new
tool that will allow us to solve the cur-
rent problem — and all similar prob-
lems that may arise in the future."
Buzek said that his government
considers Polish-Jewish dialogue "a top
priority," and promised to accelerate
the process of returning Jewish com-
munal property.
On Tuesday, Lerman expressed cau-
tious optimism. "It sounds very good
if it happens," he said.
The coalition "will stick to our
commitment not to come back and
negotiate until the 300 crosses are
removed," said Lerman. "When the
situation is returned to the status quo,
we are prepared to return to Warsaw
and sign the declaration that will enter
us into meaningful negotiations. CI

— James D.

BeSSer

