Far-right lawmaker extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish parliament

A rabbi lights candles of a menorah again after an incident in which a far-right lawmaker put out the candles (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

A far-right lawmaker in the Polish parliament extinguished candles on a menorah that were lit for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah on Tuesday, creating disruption and scandal as a new pro-EU government was beginning its work.

All major political forces quickly denounced the unprecedented incident by Grzegorz Braun, one of the most controversial lawmakers in parliament, and said there would be no tolerance for antisemitic and xenophobic behaviour in the parliament.