Polish Deputy’s Bold Gesture for Gaza: Surprising Parliament, Alarming Israel
Watan-In a historic scene, Polish Federal Deputy Grzegorz Braun interrupted a ceremony for supporters of the genocide in Gaza, extinguishing candles of the Jewish Hanukkah celebration inside the Polish Parliament. He used a fire extinguisher before the vote of confidence in the new government.
Deputy Braun represents the Rzeszów region in the Polish Parliament for the ninth and tenth terms and is the leader of the Confederation party.
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A Polish deputy expressed solidarity with Gaza by extinguishing Hanukkah candles in a video that circulated widely. The video showed the deputy, who supports the Palestinian cause, holding a fire extinguisher and spraying it inside the celebration hall, creating a foggy atmosphere. One of the participants tried to prevent him, while other voices of protest in Polish were heard. The deputy was seen arguing with some individuals before grabbing his bag and leaving the place.
According to the Polish website “grzegorz,” Federal Deputy Grzegorz Braun extinguished a Hanukkah candle in the Parliament using a fire extinguisher. The footage showed people in the area covered in the powder from the fire extinguisher. Afterwards, Braun climbed onto the platform in the hall, where he described the Hanukkah celebration as “devilish” and claimed it was restoring “natural life.”
Israel attacks Polish deputy
Several Israeli diplomats criticized Polish Parliament member Grzegorz Braun after he used a fire extinguisher to extinguish Hanukkah candles in the Polish Parliament.
The Ambassador of Israel to Poland, Yacov Livne, shared the video, commenting: “What a shame… One of the Polish parliament members just did this. Just minutes after our celebration of Hanukkah here.”
Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also commented on his “X” platform account, saying: “Anti-Semitism in Poland in 2023, I am very sad.”
A Polish member of parliament extinguishes a Chanukkiah that was lit in the parliament building today.
Antisemitism in Poland in the year 2023. Very sad. pic.twitter.com/aXAWc04F4V— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) December 12, 2023
The Polish deputy responds
Brave Deputy Grzegorz Braun stated in a tweet on his former “X”-Twitter account, as reported by “Watan”: “There cannot be a place for Talmudic racist, tribal, and barbaric worship in the building of the Parliament in the Republic of Poland!”
When asked directly after the incident if he felt ashamed, Braun replied: “Those who participate in satanic worship should be the ones ashamed.”
Braun’s decision to extinguish the candles in the Parliament building led to the boycott of a key session where parliamentarians were preparing to vote on confidence in the new government.
Following the incident, the Presidium of the Parliament punished Deputy Braun by withholding half of his salary for three months and the full allowance for half a year. The Presidium authorized the Parliament’s legal office to submit notifications to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Nie może być miejsca na akty rasistowskiego, plemiennego, dzikiego, talmudycznego kultu na terenie Sejmu RP! pic.twitter.com/6hHz4xgYSy
— Grzegorz Braun (@GrzegorzBraun_) December 12, 2023
The President of the Polish Parliament, Szymon Hołownia, announced that a request would be submitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding Deputy Braun, alleging that he disrupted a religious celebration in the Parliament’s legal office.
He also stated that a decision to impose a financial penalty on the Confederation deputy is likely to be made today. Hołownia told journalists that this means the Presidium of the Parliament will likely meet today to decide on the financial penalty imposed on Mr. Braun.
