These are cross-border scenes that have caused a sensation in Israeli and Polish media: in the small town of Pruchnik in southeastern Poland, a "Good Friday" was held - which carries clear anti-Semitic features.
Film footage distributed on several Internet portals on Sunday shows how a straw doll labeled "Judas 2019" and "Traitor" is first hung up on a lighting pole in a so-called "Judas court" and then further vilified after a ceremonial ceremony.
The appearance of the figure - crooked nose, orthodox headgear and hairstyle - corresponds to the clichéd depiction of Juda, which was also used by anti-Semites during the National Socialist era.
Adults encouraged children to beat the doll
Under the cheering cheers of numerous onlookers, this lying on the floor "Judas" doll in the video footage dragged through the streets, beaten by adults and children with specially prepared long sticks - and finally beheaded, lit and thrown into a stream. A reporter from the regional newspaper Ekspres Yaroslavsky, who put a video of the events on her side, reported that adults have encouraged children to beat the doll.
According to information of the "Ekspres Jarowslawski" and the "Gazeta Wyborcza" the "Judasgericht" should be a custom that was widely used in the 18th century. Judas is punished for his betrayal of Jesus as described in the Bible.
Because of its aggressive anti-Semitic orientation, the Catholic Church has now banned the custom, reported the regional newspaper. Her reporter had not been able to find out who had given the initiative to resurrect the event ten years after it had last taken place there.