The Palestinian Ambassador to Poland, Mahmoud Khalifa, has arrived at the Medical University of Warsaw, presumably to plead the case of Marie Andersen, the Norwegian student suspended following her antisemitic poster.
A Norwegian medical student, Marie Andersen, has been suspended by Warsaw University for her participation in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Poland where she held a sign featuring the words “Keep the world clean” and a blue Star of David placed in a garbage can. This act was widely condemned as “blatant antisemitism,” prompting strong reactions in the country.
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Israel’s ambassador to Poland, Jacob Livne, and various others decried the sign as an act of antisemitism, calling on local authorities to take action. Under Polish law, inciting hatred based on religious, ethnic, or national differences is a punishable offense.
Poland’s President, Andrzej Duda, expressed his strong condemnation of the antisemitic slogans during the march in Warsaw. The city’s mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, also emphasized that Warsaw, a city deeply affected by history, should have no place for hatred and antisemitism.
The rector of the Medical University of Warsaw, Zbigniew Gaciong, issued a statement affirming that there is no room for any form of hate speech or violence within the institution. Andersen was summoned to explain her actions, and based on the findings, she was subjected to disciplinary action and suspension, with the institution emphasizing its stance against hate speech. Police have been informed of a potential crime and are currently investigating the case, though charges have not been filed yet.
In response to the controversy, Marie Andersen issued an apology, clarifying that her placard featuring the Israeli flag was a response to the actions of the Israeli government against innocent Palestinians. She asserted that her protest was not directed against people of Jewish origin or the Jewish religion and emphasized that there is no place for antisemitism or religious hatred. She also apologized to the pro-Palestinian community for any confusion arising from the misinterpretation of her actions, recognizing the alarming rise of antisemitism in the world.
