Polish MP condemned after displaying Israeli flag with swastika in parliament
A Polish lawmaker has drawn sharp condemnation after displaying an Israeli flag defaced with a swastika during a parliamentary session in Warsaw, prompting calls for disciplinary action and rebukes from diplomats.
Konrad Berkowicz, a member of the nationalist Konfederacja opposition bloc, held up the altered flag on Tuesday while accusing Israel of fuelling the global energy crisis and “committing genocide”. “Israel is the new Third Reich and its flag should look exactly like this,” he told lawmakers.
His remarks, which also referenced civilian casualties in the Middle East, triggered immediate outrage in the chamber. Poland’s parliamentary speaker condemned the display as “unjustified” and said penalties would be proposed for using a banned symbol.
The Embassy of Israel in Warsaw denounced the incident as an “antisemitic horror,” urging Polish authorities to respond.
The controversy comes as Poland marked the annual March of the Living at the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz, amplifying sensitivities around Holocaust imagery.
Berkowicz’s intervention also unfolded against a backdrop of escalating regional tensions. Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon have continued despite a ceasefire agreed in October 2025, with reported casualties in the thousands and widespread displacement.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
