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Synagogues burn in the West, but Poland is handed the bill

36 0
19.04.2026

In recent weeks, Jewish communities across Western Europe have faced a disturbing wave of violence. A synagogue was set on fire in Rotterdam. A Jewish school in Amsterdam was damaged by an explosive device. In London, four Hatzola ambulances were torched. This is the new, violent reality of Jewish life in Western Europe. It is part of a wider and deeply alarming pattern: antisemitism in Europe is no longer confined to online hatred, fringe agitation, or coded rhetoric. It is increasingly taking physical, violent form.

And yet, at precisely such a moment, the international gaze reflexively shifts back to Poland.

The reason is not a comparable wave of antisemitic attacks on the ground, but the inflammatory public behavior of two Polish far-right politicians, Grzegorz Braun and Konrad Berkowicz. For readers outside Poland, it is important to understand that these figures thrive on provocation. Braun in particular has built his public profile on outrage, spectacle, and rhetoric that repeatedly crosses the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)