Far-Right Polish Lawmaker Extinguishes Hanukkah Menorah in Parliament

A member of the far-right political party in Poland caused controversy today when he used a fire extinguisher to put out a Hanukkah menorah that was placed in the parliament lobby. The incident occurred during a ceremony to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights, which was attended by rabbis and a Jewish music band.

The lawmaker, whose name has not been disclosed, was immediately ordered out of the assembly by the speaker of the lower chamber. The act of extinguishing the candle caused smoke and fog to fill the area, leading to the suspension of parliamentary proceedings.

Poland's Prime Minister Condemns Antisemitic Stunt in Parliament

Poland's newly elected Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it a disgrace and said such a thing should never be repeated. Tusk, a pro-European Union centrist, was elected on Monday, marking a reversal for Poland after years of conservative leadership. Tusk gave his inaugural speech to parliament Tuesday before Braun acted out.

Braun, a pro-Russian member of the Confederation party, has previously claimed that there's a plot to turn Poland into a "Jewish state."

Antisemitism has been on the rise in Europe and the U.S. amid the war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Palestinian militant group's unprecedented terror attack on Oct. 7.

"It can't happen again, it's a disgrace," Tusk said as he waited for the parliament to approve his new pro-EU government, a vote that was delayed amid the chaos triggered by the incident, which was condemned by all parties except for Braun's Confederation.

"SHAME. A Polish Parliament member just did this. Few minutes after we celebrated Hanukkah there," Israel's ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne said on social media, posting a video of the stunt.