Buchenwald Concentration Camp Memorial | Kufiya and watermelon are said to be anti-Semitic

The German debate about allegedly anti-Semitic depictions in Palestine solidarity has taken a new turn: Two months ago, the Thuringian memorial to the former Buchenwald concentration camp produced a guideline that classifies the keffiyeh , referred to as the "Palestinian scarf," as well as the demand for a ceasefire in the Gaza war as "anti-Israeli" and thus anti-Semitic – yet the Palestinian keffiyeh is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, and even the German government is advocating for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Excerpts and the link to the 57-page document sparked fierce criticism on social media on Monday. The state-funded Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation subsequently declared it an "internal manual for employees of the education department and security." It is intended to help identify codes and symbols that spread racism, anti-Semitism, or other misanthropic ideologies. If such codes and symbols are discovered at the memorial, this could lead to the exclusion of individuals.

It's not an official document, a spokesperson told "nd," and it "hasn't been approved by management." Some wording is also "not as it should be." The spokesperson declined to specify which.

The paper also places the symbol of the watermelon "as a replacement for the Palestinian flag" in an anti-Semitic context. The same applies to the accusation of apartheid in the territories occupied by Israel in violation of international law, as well as the opinion that the Israeli military is committing genocide in Gaza—an accusation that the International Court of Justice also considers plausible . According to the Thuringian Memorial Foundation, anyone who also wears the symbol of an olive branch is supporting the internationally enshrined right of return of Palestinian refugees (which the foundation places in quotation marks), thereby "calling into question the existence of Israel."

The handout also contains the claim that anyone who uses the symbol of blood-stained hands, which has been widespread in the peace movement for decades, wants to praise the murder of two Israeli soldiers committed a quarter of a century ago – a constructed conspiracy narrative, as the “nd” newspaper recently showed .

Foundation director Jens-Christian Wagner did not address the widely expressed outrage, but reported on the X platform that employees had been "vilely insulted" after the handout became public. This even amounted to death threats, Wagner told "nd." There were "a few dozen" emails – including "several in solidarity." According to Wagner, comments on social media also "incite hatred" against private individuals.

The staff of the Nazi memorial sites are "very aware that codes and symbols must always be interpreted in the context of their use," the statement reads. The "guideline" should not be understood in isolation from the context of its creation: to protect the former Buchenwald concentration camp "from current instrumentalization and deliberate provocations." However, the history of the site also includes the fact that Buchenwald was initially intended primarily for political opponents of fascism. Although other groups of prisoners were added later, political persecution remained a defining feature.

The "handout," created only in May, is now to be revised, memorial director Wagner told "nd." Work has "already begun." However, it has also been distributed beyond Thuringia: Research by "nd" shows that in Schleswig-Holstein, for example, the document was sent two weeks ago via at least four judicial mailing lists of the Higher Regional Court. This reached not only all judges, but also secretaries and staff of the probation service—the false allegations about "anti-Semitic codes and symbols" could therefore be incorporated into sentences or probation conditions. The sender of the email is an OLG judge who, according to the email, claims to have done so "at the suggestion" of its president, Dirk Bahrenfuss.

The Schleswig-Holstein Public Prosecutor's Office told "nd" that the guideline was sent to the Higher Regional Court Presidents' meeting in Weimar at the end of May following a visit to the memorial site and was then distributed "for informational purposes" – without any reference to its internal nature. This was subsequently pointed out by email.

The subsequent classification of the handout as "internal" may also have to be done in other federal states: According to the Buchenwald Memorial, the document was sent to all participants of the nationwide OLG conference.

It remains unclear what added value the judiciary in Schleswig-Holstein or other federal states sees in distributing the Thuringian "Guidelines." The State Criminal Police Office and the Public Prosecutor General's Office there have themselves drawn up such guidelines – although they are to remain secret. All state police authorities and public prosecutors' offices have been using them since January 15, 2024, the Public Prosecutor General of the northernmost federal state confirmed to "nd." The Commissioner for Antisemitism assisted in the creation, and similar guidelines from other federal states were used as a guide.

In Berlin , Rhineland-Palatinate , and Lower Saxony, existing guidelines for the police and judiciary were published. In some federal states, the controversial Research and Information Center on Antisemitism (RIAS) was also involved. The organization categorizes "Israel-related antisemitism" according to a "3D rule," according to which the state is demonized or delegitimized and double standards are applied, as certain human rights violations in Israel are criticized while comparable acts in other countries are ignored.

The Thuringian "Handreichung" adds another "D" to this with "derealization." It refers to a distortion of reality as a central feature of allegedly anti-Semitic criticism of Israel. This accusation targets groups and individuals who refuse to view Israel's devastating Gaza war as "self-defense."