Book alleging Jews make Poles 'pets' removed from Polish online platforms

A book co-authored by Polish politician Grzegorz Braun and journalist Marcin Rola has faced significant backlash and removal from multiple online sales platforms due to its alleged antisemitic nature. The book, titled "Garbate nosy. Kulisy judaizacji" (Humped Noses. Behind the Scenes of Judaization), has drawn sharp criticism for its cover art and content, which critics liken to Nazi-era propaganda.

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This publication is propaganda material that dehumanizes Jews, directly spreading hatred and antisemitic conspiracy theories.

The book's cover features a caricature of a large nose surrounded by symbols resembling the Star of David, accompanied by a "certificate of non-kosherness." Critics, including the "Never Again" Association and Akcja Demokracja, have condemned the publication as hate speech and a propagation of antisemitic conspiracy theories, specifically referencing the "judaization" of Poland. Professor Rafał Pankowski of Collegium Civitas described it as "pure antisemitism," drawing parallels to the rhetoric that preceded historical pogroms and the Holocaust.

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This book is not 'controversial commentary,' but pure antisemitism – the title and cover art directly employ the Nazi stereotype of a 'humped nose,' and the content repeats the conspiracy theory about the alleged 'judaization' of Poland. This is the same hate speech that in the past led to pogroms and the Holocaust.

As a result of interventions by these organizations, offers for the book were removed from platforms like OLX, Znak.com.pl, and Allegro. However, the book remains available on other e-bookstores, such as Empik and MegaKsi. The authors have reportedly defended their work, accusing their critics of censorship and totalitarianism. Akcja Demokracja highlighted a response from the bookstore Bonito.pl, which refused to remove the book, stating that in a free country, various topics and viewpoints can be discussed.

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Kindly inform that the book has been cleared for sale. (...) The publisher must assign it a unique ISBN. (...) In this situation, we have no grounds to withdraw it, whereas in a free country, various topics and different points of view can be discussed.