Polish MP protests by displaying Nazi swastika on Israeli flag

Polish MP Konrad Berkowicz protested by displaying a Nazi swastika on the Israeli flag in the Polish parliament on Tuesday (April 14) local time. He made a statement accusing Israel of displaying the symbol, which immediately sparked controversy and anger.
He claimed that Israel was responsible for the deaths of children in Gaza and that the child mortality rate in Gaza was “far higher” than in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. During his speech, he changed the star on the Israeli flag to a Nazi swastika. Originally, it was a symbol of German leader Hitler’s Nazi forces during World War II.
The star on the Israeli flag is the ‘Star of David’ (Magen David). It is one of the main symbols of Judaism, which is considered a symbol of the rebirth, national unity and new life of the Jewish people. In parliament, he said, “Israel is the new Third Reich” – which caused a strong reaction among other parliamentarians present.
Several MPs, including the speaker, strongly condemned the incident, saying it was a “clear violation” of the dignity of parliament. Under Polish law, both displaying Nazi symbols and insulting the flag of another country are crimes. Speaker Czerszczysty said he would take financial measures against Berkowicz and take action for violating the parliament’s code of conduct.
Meanwhile, the Israeli embassy called the incident “shameful” and called on the Polish authorities to take appropriate measures. A video of the incident later spread on the confederation’s social media. The party has been known for such controversial activities in the past.