Poland: Right-wing MP extinguishes Hanukkah candlestick
Warsaw (dpa) - In Poland, a right-wing extremist member of parliament has extinguished the lights on a Hanukkah candelabra in the parliament building with a fire extinguisher. During the plenary session, representatives of the Jewish community had come into the building at the invitation of the speaker of parliament and lit the candlestick, as Polish media reported on Tuesday.
The TV channel TVN24 showed footage of Grzegorz Braun, a member of parliament from the far-right Konfederacja party, taking a fire extinguisher from the wall, turning on the extinguishing jet and directing it at the lit lights of the Hanukkah candelabra. This led to a scuffle with a representative of the Jewish community. Tumultuous scenes in the gun smoke can be seen on social media before Braun leaves the foyer. From the speaker's platform, the MP then declared that lighting a Hanukkah candle was an "act of Satanism".
Parliament President Szymon Holownia then excluded Braun from the session and announced that the Presidium would press charges. As long as he is President of Parliament, there will be no tolerance for anti-Semitism and racism. Poland's designated new head of government Donald Tusk called Braun's action a disgrace.
The Hanukkah festival commemorates the re-dedication of the second temple in Jerusalem after a revolt against the Greeks in 164 BC and the "miracle of light" of a candle burning for eight days. This year it lasts until December 15.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year
- Numerous oil, gas and coal lobbyists at climate conference
In response to the incident, the Polish delegation at an international conference vowed to strongly condemn the act of antisemitism displayed by the MP, extinguishing the 'chanukka chandelier'. Despite the controversy, the Hanukkah celebration continued in Poland, with many homes and public spaces illuminated with traditional 'chanukka chandeliers'.
Source: www.ntv.de
