The Speaker of the Polish Sejm has condemned MP Konrad Berkowicz for displaying a doctored Israeli flag with a swastika during a parliamentary session on Tuesday.
Sejm Speaker’s Decision and Condemnation
The Speaker of the Sejm has taken a decision regarding Konrad Berkowicz (Konfederacja) following his Tuesday address to the Sejm. Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty strongly condemned Berkowicz’s actions, specifically the display of a modified Israeli flag bearing a swastika.
The Sejm’s official statement, published Tuesday afternoon, described Berkowicz’s behavior as “scandalous” and referencing Nazi symbolism.
Berkowicz’s Remarks and Provocation
During the opening of the Sejm session, Berkowicz accused Israel of using banned phosphorus bombs in the conflict in the Middle East, alleging civilian casualties, including children and women. He stated, “Israel is committing genocide with particular cruelty; Israel is the new Third Reich.”
He then unveiled the altered Israeli flag, stating it represented how the flag of Israel should appear.
Parliamentary Response and Potential Penalties
The Speaker’s office stated that such actions constitute a “serious violation of the dignity of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and the principles of parliamentary debate.” The Speaker will request the Presidium of the Sejm to punish the MP.
Legal services are analyzing potential further legal action, including reporting the incident to law enforcement for suspected crimes related to public defamation of a foreign flag and propagation of Nazism.
Timing and Sensitivity of the Incident
The incident occurred on Yom Ha-Szoa (Holocaust Remembrance Day), commemorating the millions of Jewish victims of the German Nazi regime. The display of Nazi symbolism was deemed particularly offensive in this context.
The Sejm remains a place for democratic debate based on responsibility, respect, and historical memory, according to the Sejm Chancellery.
Relevant Legal Articles
Article 256 of the Polish Penal Code criminalizes public propagation of Nazi, communist, fascist, or other totalitarian regimes, or incitement to hatred based on nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, or lack thereof, with a penalty of up to three years imprisonment.
Article 137 of the Penal Code stipulates penalties, including fines or imprisonment for up to one year, for publicly defacing, destroying, or removing the symbols of a foreign state.
International Reaction
U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose responded to a post by another Konfederacja politician, Sławomir Mentzen, who shared a recording of Berkowicz’s speech, stating, “Shame on you, shame on you, shame on you! Perhaps you’ve noticed that we Jews are no longer so easy to trample on, right? We defend ourselves with all our might, without apology – we stand with our friends and know how to fight and defeat our enemies!”
Yom Ha-Szoa, Israel’s state memorial day for the victims of the Holocaust, was observed on Tuesday in Israel.
