By Jan Krcmar

BRATISLAVA, June 25 (Reuter) - A Slovak history book -- published with financing from the European Union -- disclaiming the persecution of Slovak Jews during World War Two has come under heavy criticism from Jewish groups and historians.

The book, The History of Slovakia and the Slovaks by Milan Durica, was published by the Ministry of Education and has been recommended as a handbook for history lessons in schools.

Last week the book was praised by Vladimir Hagara, spokesman of Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar's ruling Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS).

But the Slovak Union of Jewish Religious Communities (UZ ZNO) says the work is aimed at ``rehabilitating...Slovak fascism.''

"The UZ ZNO notes with deep embitterment and concern a change of attitude towards (the war) period by the strongest Slovak political subject," a Jewish community statement said.

``It should be recalled that Durica's book was negatively received by many reviewers and was unequivocally rejected by the...Slovak Academy of Science,'' the statement added.

EU sources in Bratislava confirmed the book had been financed from the EU PHARE programme in good faith and accused the Slovak government of breaking this trust.

``When the book came out, we were not satisfied and we are having it reviewed by independent experts,'' an EU official said. ``If their verdict is negative we shall ask for the money back.''

Tracing Slovak history from the First Century AD to modern times, the book denies any persecution of Slovakia's 70,000-strong Jewish community under the clero-fascist Slovak State, a Nazi German puppet set up in March 1939.

``(The Slovak government) under (President) Dr Jozef Tiso decided to solve the Jewish question in conformity with Christian moral principles,'' the book says, adding that conditions in Jewish labour camps were ``close to the normal living conditions of the Slovak population.''

``The book contains many myths which have been long proved false and factual mistakes,'' Dusan Kovac, head of the SAV Historical Institute told Reuters.

``The fact that it is being distributed in schools is the most serious ethical problem surrounding this publication as it has all the signs of xenophobia aimed against Czechs, Hungarians and grossly distorts the Slovak state's treatment of its Jewish community,'' he added.

Fewer than 10,000 Slovak Jews survived the Holocaust and Slovakia's Jewish community now numbers around 4,000.

EU officials said the book had been financed within the framework of a larger PHARE work programme for the Slovak government.

``A few days before the programme was signed the ministry of education asked for financing of three school books and produced expert recommendations from authors in the U.S. and Canada,'' an official said.

Kovac said one of the reviewers was Stanislav Kirschbaum, son of a former leader of the puppet state's ruling People's Party (HSLS) who emigrated to Canada at the end of the war.