On Thursday, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski visited Przemyśl, a city near the Polish-Ukrainian border, where he took part in a debate disrupted by pro-Palestinian activists.
The event, held at the Higher School of Law and Administration in Przemyśl, was part of Sikorski’s series of visits to Regional Centers for International Debate.
Poland’s top diplomat spoke about Russian drones violating Polish airspace, the disinformation surrounding these incidents, and his efforts to deepen technological cooperation with Ukraine.
Pro-Palestinian activists disrupt FM Sikorski’s speech in southeastern Poland
The debate was interrupted by two separate incidents. A man accused Israel of being responsible for the death of a humanitarian activist from Przemyśl in southeastern Poland last year, while a woman interrupted Sikorski’s speech waving a pair of sandals.
She claimed the sandals belonged to Omar Faris, a pro-Palestinian activist with Polish citizenship and a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla deported by Israel.
The woman alleged that during Faris’s recent detention, Israeli authorities forced him to kneel in the sandals for six hours, and she challenged Sikorski’s interpretation of Israel’s actions in Gaza as constituting genocide.
Poland’s top diplomat defends stance on Gaza, urges precise use of “genocide”
Sikorski reassured the audience that he is unafraid to defend his views and expressed regret that the woman was removed before the debate reached the question-and-answer segment. He also shared a full recording of the incident on social media.
During the debate, he noted that Poland has recognized Palestinian statehood since 1988 and that he has personally hosted the Palestinian ambassador at the Foreign Ministry multiple times, rejecting accusations of bias.
Sikorski honors Polish diplomat’s legacy behind the term “genocide”
The head of Polish diplomacy emphasized careful use of legal terminology, explaining that while war crimes may have been committed in Israel, not every war crime constitutes genocide.
He acknowledged violations of international humanitarian law and excessive use of force by Israel, but stressed these were in response to attacks by Hamas, whose second anniversary had recently been observed.
“Genocide is the worst term possible,” Sikorski said, noting that the term was coined by Polish diplomat and Lviv University graduate Rafał Lemkin to describe the systematic killing of people by Germans during World War II, directly tied to the intent to exterminate a particular ethnic group.
Był siedmiokrotnie nominowany do Pokojowej Nagrody Nobla. Jego życiową misją była penalizacja ludobójstwa i przekonanie do koncepcji nowej zbrodni prawa międzynarodowego. | Link w komentarzu ⤵
Opublikowany przez Polskie Radio Historia Czwartek, 28 sierpnia 2025
Polish security officers say woman removed over safety concerns
On Friday afternoon, Polish news outlet Onet reported that SOP spokesperson Bogusław Piórkowski explained the intervention was taken for security reasons.
The woman was holding an unidentified object whose purpose could not be determined, so the officers deemed her a potential threat. She was handed over to the police, who opened a case for disturbing public order.
The police confirmed that the woman, a resident of the Małopolska region in southern Poland, was not detained.The investigation is being conducted under Article 51, paragraph 1 of the Polish Code of Offenses, which covers disruption of public order.
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Source: Polish Radio/Onet/X/@sikorskiradek/YouTube.com/@RadoslawSikorski