Schools Boycott Holocaust Memorial Over Israel War on Gaza

Two schools in Belgium have refused to participate in a Holocaust memorial ceremony, citing concerns over discussing the Holocaust with students during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The memorial involves the installation of Stolpersteine, which are golden stones placed in front of the homes of Holocaust victims, EJ Press reported.

These ceremonies, organized by the Association for the Memory of the Shoah, typically include educational projects and survivor testimonies to instill the importance of Holocaust remembrance.

However, controversy arose after some parents and school leaders linked the Holocaust memorial to the current Israel-Gaza conflict, leading to the boycott.

The decision by the schools has sparked outrage from Jewish advocacy groups and leaders, who argue that the Holocaust should not be politicized or conflated with contemporary geopolitical issues.

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chair of the European Jewish Association, condemned the schools in a statement to EJ Press. "At a time of record rises in antisemitism, it is precisely to the next generation that we should be transmitting the warning from history of the greatest crime against humanity committed," he said.

Jewish leaders are calling for intervention from Belgium's Minister of Education to ensure schools fulfill their responsibility to teach students about historical atrocities.