Polish deputy parliamentary speaker warns Israeli embassy over intervening in swastika-in-parliament case

Poland’s Deputy Parliamentary speaker Wlodzimierz Czarzasty on Wednesday criticized the Israeli embassy in Warsaw after it called on Polish authorities to “act quickly” against far-right Confederation lawmaker Konrad Berkowicz, saying foreign diplomatic missions should show “greater prudence” when commenting on domestic Polish politics.

“I recommend greater prudence from diplomatic missions that would interfere with the work of Polish politicians,” Czarzasty told reporters.

The dispute followed a social media post by the Israeli embassy, which urged the Polish authorities to respond swiftly to Berkowicz after he displayed an Israeli flag with a swastika in parliament last week and accused Israel of “genocide” in Gaza. The embassy’s post also included an older photograph of the Confederation lawmaker.

The embassy wrote that “there is no place in democratic Poland for antisemitism, hate speech and Holocaust inversion” and called for “quick action” by prosecutors and the parliamentary authorities.

Berkowicz caused outrage in parliament on 14 April when he unfurled an Israeli flag in which the Star of David had been replaced with a Nazi swastika. During the speech he called Israel “the new Third Reich.”

Czarzasty immediately condemned the display in the chamber, saying that “displaying a swastika in the Polish parliament can in no way be justified.” He later announced that he had referred the case to prosecutors and imposed a financial penalty on Berkowicz.

However, Czarzasty objected to the Israeli embassy publicly demanding such action.

“We are dealing with this matter in Poland. Prosecutors have been notified. There is no need for foreign embassies to instruct Polish institutions what to do,” he said, according to Polish media.

The row highlights the increasingly delicate political atmosphere around the war in Gaza in Poland. While Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government has strongly condemned antisemitism and backed closer ties with Israel, it has also faced criticism from some on the left and right over its response to the conflict.

The case also comes amid growing scrutiny of Confederation politicians and other far-right figures over anti-Israeli and antisemitic rhetoric. Berkowicz belongs to the same political camp as MEP Grzegorz Braun, who has repeatedly sparked controversy with statements about Jews and Israel.

Berkowicz has defended his actions, saying he is being punished for speaking out against what he described as Israeli crimes in Gaza. “No repression from state authorities will shut my mouth,” he wrote on social media after Czarzasty referred the case to prosecutors.