There was outrage in the Polish parliament after a far-right politician held up an Israeli flag bearing a swastika last Tuesday, the same day as the Shoah commemoration March of the Living.
Konrad Berkowicz, a member of the far-right New Hope party, said as he held the flag: “Israel is in the process of committing a genocide of exceptional cruelty before our very eyes,” and called the Jewish state the “new Third Reich”.
His outburst came on the same day as March Of The Living, a commemorative walk to Auschwitz involving Shoah survivors.
Amid an outcry among parliamentarians, the speaker of the house, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, described the rant as “unjustified” and later said he was seeking a motion to penalise Berkowicz.
In Poland, both displaying a swastika and publicly offending another nation’s flag is a criminal offence.
The Israeli embassy in Poland condemned the incident on X, calling it an “antisemitic horror” and a “disgrace”, and demanded authorities act.
“As Holocaust Survivors march in Auschwitz today, this vile anti-Jewish act is especially appalling,” the embassy wrote.
The outburst also attracted condemnation from the US ambassador to Poland, Tom Rose, who himself is Jewish.
He posted on X: “Shame, shame, shame on you! Maybe even you have noticed that we Jews aren't so easy to push around anymore, are we?
“We stand with our friends and we know how to fight and defeat our enemies!”
Berkowicz’ party, New Hope, is in an alliance with the Federation Of The Polish Crown party, led by controversial lawmaker Grzegorz Braun.
Last November, Braun gave a speech outside Auschwitz in which he said: “Poland is for Poles, not Jews”. He has also accused Jews of “ritual murder”, and denied that gas chambers were used as a method of extermination at Auschwitz.
Denying the Holocaust, like displaying a swastika, is also illegal in Poland.
In 2024, Braun caused upset when he put out a menorah with a fire extinguisher at a lighting ceremony in parliament, calling the annual celebration “Satanic” and insisting that, by putting out the candles, he was restoring “normality”.
For this, he was fined and lost his parliamentary immunity, which meant he could from then on, face criminal charges.
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.