Czech news in brief for October 28: Saturday's top headlines

In an interview with Czech publication Deník N, Petr Papoušek, Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic, disclosed a significant increase in anti-Semitic expressions following the Hamas attack in Israel. The Czech Republic experienced a 400 percent surge in such incidents, predominantly on social media platforms, with many expressions denying Israel's right to exist.

While these expressions have mainly remained in the digital realm, there have not been substantial real-world manifestations of hatred toward Jews in the Czech Republic. Papoušek highlighted the importance of political support, including visits from Czech officials to Israel, during this challenging period for Jews worldwide.

Czech President Petr Pavel paid tribute to the first Czechoslovak president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, by laying wreaths at his statue in Prague's Hradčany Square. The event, commemorating the Day of the Establishment of the Independent Czechoslovak State, drew approximately a hundred spectators.

President Pavel did not address the crowd or grant interviews due to time constraints. Later, he appointed new generals at Prague Castle, and in the evening, he is set to present state orders and medals to over 60 individuals. Various political figures and university rectors are also expected to honor Masaryk.

Electricity and gas prices in the Czech Republic for households during the first half of the year were notably higher compared to other Visegrad Group (V4) member countries (Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia), according to Eurostat. The price of electricity for Czech households surged by over 25 percent, and gas prices increased by more than 50 percent year-on-year. In contrast, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary had significantly lower rates.

The European Union's average electricity price was €0.289 per kWh, while gas averaged EUR 0.1187 per kWh. These figures indicate significant disparities in energy costs among European nations. In the Netherlands, electricity and gas prices were the highest, with electricity spiking by 953 percent YoY.

Czech criminal police have accused a 35-year-old foreign man from Turkey of defamation for posting anti-Semitic texts outside his Pilsen kebab restaurant. The foreign national, who has a Czech wife and has lived in Czechia for some time, faces up to two years in prison if convicted while out on bail.

The posted notes denounced Jews and referenced anti-Semitic passages from the Quran. Removal of the poster by authorities this week did little to deter the kebab vendor's insistence that he was spreading truthful information about Israel and Jews. Meanwhile, local Jewish groups say the incident has frightened some in the community despite typically good relations with Arab residents in the Western Bohemian city.

Two planes carrying nearly 500 Czech tourists landed at Prague's Václav Havel Airport before 1 a.m. Friday after being evacuated from the Egyptian resort of Taba by the Red Sea following a rocket strike Friday. According to reports, the missile struck a medical facility and was shot down by an Israeli F-35 fighter jet.

While some tourists said they were cutting vacations short, others had just arrived in Egypt the day before. Passengers praised the travel agency's handling of the operation and described feeling the missile shake bungalows as F-35 shot it down nearby. The Czechs flew to Egypt on three Smartwings aircraft from Sharm el-Sheikh due to security concerns.

According to astronomers at the Academy of Sciences, people in Czechia may be able to observe a partial lunar eclipse with the naked eye tonight between 9-11 p.m., weather permitting. Around 12 percent of the moon will be shaded at maximum eclipse at 10:14 p.m. Low cloud cover could allow the darkened southern edge to be seen.

The eclipse will begin with the moon entering Earth's penumbral shadow at 9:35 p.m. and lasting an hour and 17 minutes. While clouds are forecast, clearing is possible. Experts say that the eclipse should even be visible through fine cloudiness. Jupiter will also be visible east of the moon.

The Czech center-right Spolu (Together) coalition of the Civic Democrats, Christian Democrats, and TOP 09 announced Friday that it will run jointly in next year's European Parliament election, as it did in the 2021 Czech general election. It presented a 10-point program promoting a free, secure, competitive, and diverse Europe. 

Prime Minister and Civic Democrats leader Petr Fiala said the coalition’s candidate leader would be current member of European Parliament Alexandr Vondra. Fiala believed this joint candidacy will benefit Czech citizens in society’s battle against populists, extremists, and misinformation. The election will take place in June 2024.

The manufacturer of Bonaqua, a popular brand of bottled water in Czechia, has announced that the label will be phased out from Czech supermarkets and replaced with other water brands soon. The flavored variants of Bonaqua are currently being sold off as merchants clear their stocks. 

In Slovakia, Bonaqua water is no longer available. The reason behind the change is the introduction of high-quality Natura water sourced from the Adršpašsko-Teplice rocks in Hradec Králové, which reduces the need for international truck transport. Data from the Kupi.cz shopping guide, which has been monitoring promotional prices for more than a decade, shows that the last time Bonaqua was advertised in supermarkets’ flyers was in 2020.

The police have charged a 36-year-old man for starting the largest forest fire in the history of the Czech Republic, which occurred last year in Bohemian Switzerland. The man, a former park ranger, has been accused of endangering public safety and causing mass property damage, crimes that carry a maximum prison sentence of 15 years under Czech law. 

A spokesman for the regional police force had previously estimated that the total damages caused by all the blazes amounted to over CZK 270 million. The man confessed his crime in April this year – his motives are still not fully clear.

As part of Czechoslovak Independence Day, President Petr Pavel will present state awards to over 60 individuals today at Prague Castle. The ceremony – Pavel’s first of this scale since assuming office in January – will be the same as in previous years according to the President’s Office. Over 400 people were nominated this year. 

Last year under former President Miloš Zeman, 78 people received awards – the average figure is typically around 40. Some 700 invited guests will attend the ceremony in Prague Castke’s Vladislav Hall with about 2,000 more expected at the subsequent reception, including politicians, military officials, diplomats, and civic leaders.

After concluding a lengthy debate at the European Council (EC) summit in Brussels Friday, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated that the EC identified Israel's right to self-defense and condemned Hamas attacks in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Fiala reported that both the EU and Czechia saw Hamas as the aggressor in the conflict.

Notably, Fiala at the summit met his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico, who commented on a different conflict – the Russia-Ukraine war – and said he would halt Slovak military support to Ukraine. Fiala issues disapproval of Fico’s stance, urging EU unity in aiding Ukraine as well as Israel.