Andrzej Duda to Address Jerusalem NatCon Conference on October 7 Legacy and Sovereignty
Former Polish President Andrzej Duda will address the National Conservatism conference in Jerusalem, focusing on national sovereignty and the Three Seas Initiative.
Address in Jerusalem
Former Polish President Andrzej Duda will take part in the National Conservatism conference held in Jerusalem, running from Tuesday through Thursday. Duda is scheduled to speak on Wednesday during a plenary panel titled "The Meaning of October 7", which refers to the 2023 Hamas attacks in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people. In Gaza, retaliatory strikes by Israel have resulted in over 74,200 Palestinian deaths to date. Duda's speech will focus on the role of independent nation-states and regional partnerships across Central and Eastern Europe. Małgorzata Paprocka, director of the former president's office, summarized the core theme ahead of the gathering.
The value of the sovereign nation-state and the Three Seas as a forum for cooperation of such states in Europe.
Bilateral meeting and institutional ties
Ahead of his conference presentation, Duda held a bilateral meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday in Jerusalem. The former Polish leader travels alongside the leadership of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative American think tank connected to the circle of US President Donald Trump. Duda joined the Washington-based organization in January 2026 as a distinguished visiting fellow. His appearance at the conference follows growing links between Central European political figures and American conservative institutions. The Jerusalem conference serves as a platform connecting trans-Atlantic think tanks with Israeli political figures.
- Edmund Burke Foundation is established by Israeli philosopher Yoram Hazony
- Hamas attacks southern Israel, killing 1,200 people
- UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway sanction Bezalel Smotrich
- Andrzej Duda joins the Heritage Foundation as a distinguished visiting fellow
- Andrzej Duda meets with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem
- Duda scheduled to address the plenary session at the NatCon conference
Conference agenda and participants
The event is organized by the Edmund Burke Foundation, an American think tank established in 2019 and led by Israeli philosopher Yoram Hazony. The foundation previously held NatCon events across the United States and Europe, featuring speakers such as US Vice President J.D. Vance, former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and British politician Nigel Farage. Duda will share his session with Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli. Other attendees include Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, whom Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway sanctioned in 2025 for inciting violence against Palestinians. The programme also lists former German counterintelligence chief Hans-Georg Maaßen, Austrian Freedom Party politician Harald Vilimsky, and Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, while former US television host Tucker Carlson will be absent.
Media reaction and international perspectives
The Jerusalem conference has drawn varied coverage across international and Israeli outlets. The British newspaper The Guardian reported that the conference brings together Israeli nationalists, American Christian nationalists, and European radical right figures. Israeli television channel Channel 14 described the meeting as a gathering of international conservative figures seeking an alternative to liberalism and pursuing cooperation among Western national-conservative movements. Polish media outlets have focused attention on Duda's participation alongside right-wing and nationalist figures. The three-day event concludes on Thursday following scheduled panels on governance, national identity, and security.
