Polish Parliament Hanukkah Incident Sparks Concerns Over Rising Antisemitism

Despite the incident, top Polish leaders join Jewish community for Hanukkah celebration in parliament.

Far-right lawmaker Grzegorz Braun extinguished the candles of a Hanukkah menorah in the Polish parliament, condemning the lighting as an act of 'satanic Talmudic racist triumphalism'.
Braun was ejected from the chamber by Speaker Szymon Hołownia, who called for his prosecution and announced the candles would be relit.
Despite the incident, top Polish leaders including President Andrzej Duda and Speaker Szymon Hołownia joined members of the Jewish community for a Hanukkah celebration in parliament.
The number of those identifying as Jewish in Poland has risen dramatically in the past 20 years, from just over a thousand in 2002 to 15,700 in 2021.
Despite the defeat of the conservative-nationalist Law and Justice party, which has occasionally dabbled in antisemitic rhetoric, the far right could grow if the new government fails to deliver on its promises.