On 23 October 2026 Minister Šťastný called a seminar on Palestine and Israel in the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic one-sided. The seminar was organised by the Green Party deputies Gabriela Svárovská and Irena Ferčíková Konečná.[1]
The seminar
In her opening remarks, Svárovská said the event concerned how Czechia votes in foreign policy and in the European Union, and that the government should be scrutinised by the lower house. She recalled that in October 2024 Czechia, as the only EU country, blocked a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that Foreign Minister Petr Macinka declared in May 2026 his opposition to further trade sanctions and to suspending the association agreement with Israel. In her view, criticism of the Israeli government is part of democratic debate. Ferčíková Konečná called for the debate on the Middle East to be based on facts and international law.[1]
The minister's criticism
Šťastný said the lower house is neither the private property of its deputies nor a party clubroom, and questioned whether the seminar had taken the context into account. He criticised the organisers and guests for not mentioning the events of 7 October 2023. He admitted that he had not attended the seminar himself.[1]
Ferčíková Konečná replied that the seminar dealt with the long-term situation in the occupied territories and violations of international law. According to her, the organisers condemn the terror of Hamas, but the destruction of Gaza and the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians cannot be justified by the right of self-defence.[1]
Chronology
- — Minister Šťastný described the seminar on Palestine in the Chamber of Deputies, organised by the Green deputies Gabriela Svárovská and Irena Ferčíková Konečná, as one-sided, and the deputies responded to his criticism. iDNES.cz
Sources
- iDNES.cz — 23 October 2026