Auschwitz slams Israeli council head's plans for Gaza Strip

The Auschwitz Museum in Poland criticized an Israeli council head on social media Monday for calling to turn the Gaza Strip into an empty museum similar to the former Nazi concentration camp, outright comparing it to terrorism.

The remarks in question were made by Metula Council head David Azoulai during an interview with 103FM. He called for all Gazan Palestinians to be sent to refugee camps in Lebanon, and then a security buffer zone should be established in Gaza made empty to resemble Auschwitz.

"The entire Gaza Strip should be emptied and leveled flat, just like in Auschwitz. Let it become a museum, showcasing the capabilities of the State of Israel and dissuading anyone from living in the Gaza Strip," Azoulai said. "We should leave Gaza desolate and destroyed to serve as a museum, demonstrating the madness of the people who lived there."

Auschwitz Museum calls out Israeli council head for "terrorist" response for Gaza

Memory of victims of Auschwitz has, at times, been violated and instrumentalized in various extreme statements. David Azoulai appears to wish to use the symbol of the largest cemetery in the world as some sort of a sick, hateful, pseudo-artistic, symbolic expression.Calling… https://t.co/ELvU1aOacs

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) December 18, 2023

"David Azoulai appears to wish to use the symbol of the largest cemetery in the world as some sort of a sick, hateful, pseudo-artistic, symbolic expression," the museum posted on X, formerly Twitter. "Calling for acts that seem to transgress any civil, wartime, moral, and human laws, that may sound as a call for murder of the scale akin to Auschwitz, puts the whole honest world face-to-face with a madness that must be confronted and firmly rejected.

"We do hope that Israeli authorities will react to such shameful abuse, as terrorism can never be a response to terrorism."