Warsaw: Israel has urged the Polish government to take measures against Konrad Berkowicz, a far-right lawmaker, who displayed an Israeli flag with a swastika during a parliamentary session. This act has prompted a sharp response from Israeli officials and a subsequent exchange with Polish authorities.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Israeli Foreign Ministry expressed its concerns on the social media platform X. The ministry highlighted Berkowicz's history of supporting Nazism and underscored the dangers of racism and antisemitism, especially in a country like Poland that has experienced the repercussions of such ideologies. They emphasized that Berkowicz's actions are incompatible with the principles of a democratic parliament and urged Polish authorities to take immediate and decisive action.
In response, a spokesman for Poland's Foreign Ministry addressed the situation on X, stating that it is up to the Polish citizens to elect their representatives, not foreign entities. The spokesman noted that the Polish parliamentary speaker had already penalized Berkowicz by imposing a fine and reducing his parliamentary allowance. Furthermore, the public prosecutor's office is conducting an investigation into the incident.
The controversy stems from an incident last week where Berkowicz brandished a homemade Israeli flag with a blue swastika replacing the Star of David. During his speech, the lawmaker accused Israel of genocide in the Middle East and drew a provocative comparison between Israel and Nazi Germany, claiming that "Israel is the new Third Reich, and its flag should look exactly like this."