The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina has defended its choice to donate funds from the display of a valuable Jewish manuscript to the people of Gaza. The museum stated that ticket sales for viewing the Sarajevo Haggadah, one of the most treasured religious manuscripts of the Middle Ages, would be given to “support the people of Palestine who suffer systematic, calculated and cold-blooded terror, directly by the state of Israel”.
The decision drew strong criticism earlier this month from Jewish organizations, with some abroad accusing the museum of antisemitism. However, museum director Mirsad Sijaric, 55, stood by the decision, noting he has received numerous messages of support from Jewish individuals worldwide. “Did we choose one of the sides? Yes, we chose one of the sides,” Sijaric told AFP.
‘Politicization’ of a Symbol
The museum’s donation will also include proceeds from a book about the Haggadah. Sijaric insisted the move was “absolutely not” against Jewish people, but rather a message of opposition to what is happening in Gaza. “Feigning neutrality is siding with evil. In my opinion, this is pure evil, and one must oppose it.”
Several Jewish organizations criticized the museum’s announcement, including the New York-based Anti-Defamation League, which labeled it a “politicization” of a “symbol of heritage, survival, and coexistence.” The Haggadah, which narrates the creation of the world and the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, has long been a revered symbol of Sarajevo’s diversity. The majority-Muslim city is home to just under a thousand Jewish people.
A Symbol of ‘Shared Life’
Dating back to 1350, the intricately illustrated manuscript is believed to have been written near Barcelona and brought to Sarajevo by Jews expelled from Spain in 1492. It famously survived Nazi occupation and the intensive shelling of the Bosnian War in the 1990s.
Jakob Finci, president of the Bosnian Jewish community, described the decision as “bizarre” and “a bit offensive.” He said, “It tarnishes Sarajevo´s reputation and that of the Sarajevo Haggadah, the book that for many years has borne witness to Sarajevo´s multiethnic character and our shared life.”
The book, once rarely displayed, became more accessible after a special room was opened in 2018. Its rich history and rarity continue to attract visitors and academics. “I think it’s a way to support the situation of the Palestinians in Gaza,” said Italian Egyptologist Silvia Einaudi after viewing the manuscript. French visitor Paul Hellec added, “Gaza, why not? It’s a tough topic at the moment. But there are also many other places where people are suffering.”
The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians. Out of 251 hostages seized by Hamas, 49 are still held, with the Israeli military stating 27 are dead. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 62,819 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Media restrictions and access difficulties in Gaza mean that AFP cannot independently verify the death tolls and details provided by either the civil defense agency or the Israeli military.
