Polish MP Draws Outrage After Displaying Swastika on Israeli Flag in Parliament

A far-right Polish lawmaker sparked widespread outrage after displaying a paper Israeli flag defaced with a swastika in parliament, accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in the Middle East. The Israeli embassy swiftly condemned the act as an “antisemitic horror.”

The Incident

Konrad Berkowicz, a member of the far-right nationalist Konfederacja (Confederation) opposition party, told fellow lawmakers that “Israel is in the process of committing a genocide of exceptional cruelty before our very eyes,” comparing the country to a “new Third Reich.” He then brandished the altered flag, in which the Nazi symbol replaced the Star of David at its center.

The act drew immediate shouts of anger from parliamentarians in Poland—a nation that endured the brutal occupation of Nazi Germany and was home to Auschwitz, Birkenau, Treblinka, and other extermination camps where six million European Jews were murdered during the Holocaust.

Parliamentary and Official Reactions

The speaker of parliament called the display of the swastika “unjustified” and later announced he was preparing a motion to impose penalties on Berkowicz for “presenting Nazi symbols in the chamber.” Polish law prohibits the promotion of fascist and totalitarian symbols, though it remains to be seen what specific sanctions Berkowicz might face.

The Israeli embassy in Poland condemned Berkowicz’s actions as an “antisemitic horror” and demanded that Polish authorities “act upon this disgrace.” In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the embassy wrote: “As Holocaust Survivors march in Auschwitz today, this vile anti-Jewish act is especially appalling.”

Disturbing Timing: The March of the Living

The incident occurred on the same day as the annual “March of the Living,” a solemn event held on the grounds of the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau to commemorate Holocaust victims. Between 1940 and 1945, approximately one million Jews and more than 100,000 non-Jews (including Poles, Romani people, Soviet prisoners of war, and others) perished at Auschwitz, which remains the most enduring symbol of the Holocaust.

Berkowicz’s Additional Allegations

Berkowicz also accused the Israeli military of using white phosphorus bombs in the Middle East, graphically describing severe injuries, suffering, and the deaths of “tens of thousands of women and children” from such weapons. Human Rights Watch has previously accused Israel of the “illegal” use of white phosphorus in southern Lebanon following its offensive against Hezbollah. Israel has stated that it “could not confirm” those allegations.

Strong Response from U.S. Ambassador

The incident prompted an unusually sharp reaction from the United States ambassador to Poland, Tom Rose, who is a follower of Orthodox Judaism. On his personal X account, Rose wrote:

“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!!!”

Earlier that same Tuesday, Ambassador Rose had participated in the March of the Living at Auschwitz, making his condemnation of Berkowicz’s act particularly poignant.

Context and Significance

Berkowicz’s actions have reignited discussions about rising antisemitism in Poland and across Europe, as well as the fine line between legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies and the use of antisemitic tropes and Holocaust imagery. While Poland has officially condemned antisemitism and preserved Holocaust memorial sites, far-right elements within the country have occasionally voiced hostile rhetoric toward Jews and Israel.

The incident also highlights the ongoing tension between freedom of speech in parliamentary settings and the legal and moral boundaries regarding Nazi symbolism, especially in a country that suffered so grievously under German occupation.

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