IDF on Humiliation at Birkenau: Polish Police Banned Israeli Flags

During a ceremony at the Birkenau death camp, a Polish police officer demanded that members of the “Witnesses in Uniform” delegation remove Israeli flags, the Israeli news agency Ynet reported. This year, the delegation included 180 soldiers and security personnel.

According to participants, such an incident had never occurred at any previous events attended by Israeli delegations.

The march with flags, accompanied by an IDF military formation and trumpet sounds, began as usual near the museum. However, at the entrance to the camp, a police officer blocked the front row and announced that flags were not allowed inside.

Negotiations between the Israeli delegation, local staff, and police failed to resolve the issue. As a result, the flag bearers, following the delegation leadership’s instructions, folded the flags and left them in a service vehicle.

“We were shocked by this decision. Nothing like this has ever happened in Warsaw, Treblinka, or Majdanek,” one participant said. He added that the humiliation was public, as spectators filming the ceremony were present.

Participants emphasized that the flag march had always been an important part of the ceremony and that being forced to abandon it was a heavy blow.
“This event shows that the fight against antisemitism in Europe is far from over and that there are those who are trying to change the way these memorial sites are treated,” another participant added.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment.