Poland’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned MP Konrad Berkowicz for displaying an Israeli flag defaced with a swastika during a parliamentary session on April 14th.
Berkowicz’s Actions Deemed Offensive
Konrad Berkowicz previously stated that “Israel is committing genocide before our eyes with particular cruelty” and referred to the country as “the new Third Reich.” He also displayed the altered Israeli flag, replacing the Star of David with a swastika.
Foreign Ministry Statement
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Tuesday, April 14th, condemning Berkowicz’s use of the swastika symbol on the flag of Israel as “the most severe way.”
Poland’s Historical Responsibility
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Poles have a “special obligation” to preserve historical memory, emphasizing that the gesture is deeply offensive not only to Jews and Israelis but to all who remember the Holocaust and other Nazi crimes as crucial elements of their memory and identity.
The incident occurred during Yom Ha-Shoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), commemorating the Jews murdered by the Nazis.
Condemnation and Sanctions
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that any provocation related to the Holocaust, the largest crime committed in occupied territories, should be considered reprehensible and unacceptable.
Sejm Speaker Announces Penalties
Sejm Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty also issued a statement condemning Berkowicz’s “scandalous behavior” of presenting symbols referencing Nazism during a plenary session. Such actions, he stated, seriously violate the dignity of the Sejm and the principles of parliamentary debate.
Legal Action Considered
Marshal Czarzasty announced the preparation of a motion to the Sejm Presidium to impose financial sanctions on Berkowicz for violating the dignity of the Sejm.
The Sejm’s legal services are also analyzing the possibility of further legal action, including reporting Berkowicz to law enforcement authorities on suspicion of committing a crime under Article 137 paragraph 2 of the Penal Code (public insult to the flag of a foreign state) and Article 256 of the Penal Code (promoting Nazism).