A high school student from Israel was taken into custody on Sunday after he made a Nazi salute while visiting the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during a school trip to Poland, as reported by Ynet.
The 12th-grade student, who was part of a group from a northern Israeli high school, made the gesture near the notorious “Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work Sets You Free”) sign at the entrance of the camp, according to the report.
He was detained by Polish authorities and later released after paying a fine of 1,500 zloty.
Israel’s Education Ministry condemned the action, stressing its gravity. “This behavior is entirely unacceptable, contradicts the values of Israeli education, and undermines the significance of the trip to Poland,” the ministry said, adding that the student would face disciplinary measures upon his return to Israel.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum also expressed its strong disapproval, describing the Nazi salute as a symbol of the antisemitic ideology that was responsible for the mass murder of millions during World War II.
“Committing such an act at the historical site, where Nazi Germany murdered approximately one million Jews, along with tens of thousands of Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and others, is not only deeply offensive and morally reprehensible but also a violation of the law,” the museum stated.
The student’s high school responded by saying that it was addressing the issue internally and emphasized that the act was not reflective of the school’s values. The student, however, claimed that he had been simply waving and not intending to make a Nazi salute.
Polish law strictly bans the public display of Nazi symbols, with violators facing penalties of up to two years in prison.
In 2013, two Turkish tourists were caught giving Nazi salutes outside the Auschwitz-Birkenau site. They took photos of each other making the offensive gestures beneath the “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign. The two were later sentenced to six months in prison, with the sentence suspended for three years, and each was fined.
In 2018, three Polish teenagers were investigated by the local prosecutor’s office for making Nazi salutes at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
In 2022, a 29-year-old Dutch tourist was detained for making a Nazi salute at Auschwitz. She was charged with engaging in Nazi propaganda and later paid a fine issued by the prosecutors.
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