Auschwitz museum confiscates hostage symbols deeming them ‘political’

‘We explained it was for the hostages, but they said the yellow ribbon was a political symbol.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Members of a British tour group were shocked when staff at the Auschwitz Museum confiscated Israeli flags with hostage symbols because they were deemed “political.”

Personnel from the museum in Poland took the flags from members of the Bushey Synagogue in Hertfordshire.

The museum allows visitors to bring national flags to the museum, but the addition of the yellow ribbon symbol associated with the effort to return hostages from Gaza violated the museum’s rules concerning “political” messaging.

“The group was really upset and couldn’t understand it,” said one of the visitors, Lawrence Bentley, 76. “It is really bad in this day and age.”

Although security guards had allowed visitors to bring Israeli flags on earlier visits, the British group was stopped because of the hostage symbols on the flags.

“We explained it was for the hostages, but they said the yellow ribbon was a political symbol,” Bentley said.

A senior security officer was called over. “He told us, ‘My hands are tied. It is a political statement, and that is it.’”

At one point, group members huddled together and sang Israeli songs while surreptitiously holding the flags with the hostage symbols, then hiding them when museum personnel approached.

The group lit candles for hostages, read their names aloud, and said prayers.

“We have been saying ‘never again,’ and here we are again, with people committing crimes against Jews and Israelis, just as the Nazis did throughout Europe,” Bentley added. “That’s why we had to remember the hostages during our visit.”

A spokesman for the Auschwitz Museum told JC, “Visitors to the Auschwitz Memorial are allowed to bring national flags; however, they must not be altered in any way, such as by adding slogans, symbols, or other modifications.”

“Any altered flag is no longer considered a national flag and does not comply with the Memorial’s regulations. All visitors agree to these guidelines upon purchasing an entry ticket.”

“These regulations have been in place for many years to prevent any attempts to use the Memorial for activities unrelated to its history, which could be perceived as disrespectful to the victims of the German Nazi camp or as an attempt to instrumentalize their suffering in any way. These rules apply to all visitors, regardless of intent or good faith,” the spokesman said.