POLISH MPs have passed changes to a disputed Holocaust speech law, removing criminal provisions for attributing Nazi crimes to Poles.

The amendments were passed by 388 to 25 with five abstentions following an emotional session in the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament.

The original version of the law, which was passed early this year, called for prison terms of up to three years for falsely accusing the Polish nation of Holocaust crimes that were committed by Nazi Germany.

The ruling Law and Justice party said it needed a tool to fight back against foreign media sometimes calling Auschwitz and other German death camps “Polish death camps” as they were operated on occupied Polish territory.

However, the law sparked a major diplomatic crisis with Israel, where many felt it was an attempt to whitewash episodes of Polish violence against Jews during the Second World War.

The new draft bill was presented to parliament by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, leading to an emotional debate among MPs.

Members of the opposition criticised the Law and Justice party for passing the original law.

The new version removes the penal provisions and is likely to help Poland repair its international standing and relationships.