This trend in Poland must be stopped before it develops. “Braun emboldened the radical fringe”
I will be the last person to declare that “Poland is an anti-Semitic country.” Firstly, no statistics prove it, secondly, compared to the rest of the world, our problems seem marginal. Nevertheless, the aggressive fringe – as you can see, also present in the Sejm – creates the image of a country where Jews are hated. And behind the margins comes an emboldened, anonymous crowd – aggressive, especially online. And here is the problem. How to stop this trend before it develops?
Everyone has probably heard about the “Braun fire extinguisher”. Not only in Poland, but also in Arab countries, the United States, Western Europe and Israel. The incident was commented on by ministers and diplomats, almost always in the context of “anti-Semitism in Poland”, condemnation of the extinguishing of Hanukkah candles and aggression against the woman who tried to stop it.
I believe that drawing conclusions from this scandalous event that affect the image of the entire country is a profound abuse.
The reaction of the Polish authorities, the scale of condemnation of Grzegorz Braun, and then a series of meetings with representatives of Jewish communities show where the proportions lie. Braun is harmful, but still marginal.
Unfortunately, the problem lies elsewhere.
