An Israeli high school student was arrested and questioned by police for doing a Nazi salute during a school trip to Auschwitz, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

The teenager from Kiryat Bialik was on his school’s field trip to Poland when he did the gesture under the entrance sign to the camp.

He was questioned for two hours by Polish police and was fined approximately NIS 1,500 after security guards observed him performing the salute. The museum also captured the incident on its security cameras; the footage was handed over to the police.

Polish police charged him with promoting Nazism, local media reported. Performing a seig heil is illegal in Poland, and carries a potential sentence of up to two years in prison.

  • FundMECFS@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    9 hours ago

    Personally knowing some young Israeli’s.

    A lot of them don’t take the holocaust very seriously and tend to joke about it a lot, (maybe it’s a coping mechanism)? In any case, this is probably a case of an edgy high schooler trying to make their friends laugh.

    • geneva_convenience@lemmy.mlOP
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      8 hours ago

      Could be a coping mechanism. If they took it seriously they would probably have to reflect about the similarities between the Nazis and Israel.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    No need to put a stupid teenager in prison for a longer time for being stupid, but: A day or two behind bars on top of the fine might have had a better educational effect.

    • Jumi@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      He didn’t do it on accident and was fully aware of what he was doing and where he was doing it. Lock that scum up I say.

      • commander@lemmings.world
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        10 hours ago

        You must be new to the world or just lacking experience in your adult life.

        I guess you’ve never seen young people support bad guys specifically because it’s provocative. They don’t know any better and to assume that this kid wants a nazi regime because he did a hitler salute is asinine.

        I could see him finding real support now among those who do want a nazi regime because of how he was treated by us. We should be compassionate with these kids instead of trying to beat them into submission.

        • FlyingCircus@lemmy.world
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          10 hours ago

          If they’re doing it to be provocative, then they know exactly what they’re doing and why it’s bad. No sympathy for Nazi supporters or those who make light of Nazi atrocities. This kid deserves the punishment.

          • commander@lemmings.world
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            9 hours ago

            You’re free to think that, but I respectfully disagree.

            If he kept doing it, sure. But taking him aside and talking to him could be more effective and less damaging than getting the authorities involved and humiliating him to “prove a point.”

            Show him that we’re on the same side. If we treat him like an enemy when he really isn’t one, he very well may become one.

            • FlyingCircus@lemmy.world
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              9 hours ago

              Less damaging to whom? To the kid who did a Nazi salute? Sure, definitely. How about to society? Tolerance for Nazis and Nazi symbology only emboldens Nazis and weakens everyone else. Especially in these times when fascists control the most powerful country on Earth.

              • commander@lemmings.world
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                6 hours ago

                You’re not tolerating it by taking him aside, explaining to him why it’s not acceptable even as a joke, and warning him not to do it again.

    • commander@lemmings.world
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      10 hours ago

      Could easily see this radicalizing him if he isn’t already.

      It’s easy to make dumb edgy jokes as a teenager without actually believing whatever you’re joking about.

      Humiliating this kid like this is really just trying to make an example out of him rather than solving any problem or helping him in any way.

      This could’ve easily been solved by the teacher taking him aside and explaining to him why that’s not acceptable. If he keeps doing it after being warned, then it’s fine to escalate.

      • Jumi@lemmy.world
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        5 hours ago

        If you go there and don’t already know what’s going on you failed yourself already. Stupidity does not protect against punishment.

  • jsomae@lemmy.ml
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    18 hours ago

    This is an idiotic teenager and should have no bearing on your opinion of Israel. (I shouldn’t have to say this, but if I don’t somebody will m’accuse: please note that I’m not defending Israel.)

  • Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
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    19 hours ago

    Wow, ya know I’ve been joking that Israel is full of Jewish Nazis, but…u hh… damn

    • beejboytyson@lemmy.world
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      17 hours ago

      Ikr? I saw someone post one of those grandfather didn’t fight for this meme and I can help think that he would shoot the guys hold that flag you hugging

  • TheImpressiveX@lemm.ee
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    1 day ago

    It wasn’t a Nazi salute. It was a heartfelt and perhaps ill-advised gesture that, in the moment, could be misinterpreted as a Nazi salute. I think we shouldn’t be so quick to jump to conclusions.

    /s

  • Sibshops@lemm.ee
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    10 hours ago

    I understand Nazis are an enemy of the state. But this is a bit too far, a warning is enough.

    • diverging@lemm.ee
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      9 hours ago

      Performing a seig heil is illegal in Poland, and carries a potential sentence of up to two years in prison.

      Just a fine is a warning.

    • RepleteLocum@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      10 hours ago

      So a repeat offender who collects Nazi trash should just get a slap on the wrist and be ignored? We here in Austria do it well. First you get a fine and if you do it again you’re going to prison. Exactly where Nazis belong.

      • Sibshops@lemm.ee
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        9 hours ago

        Oh was he a repeat offender? If he was, then the punishment was justified.

    • Kimmy@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Fuck nazis. The atrocities they performed… what this kid did… should be death penalty. Yes I’m being serious. This world has no room for nazi bullshit. The only good nazi is a dead one

  • commander@lemmings.world
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    10 hours ago

    Performing a seig heil is illegal in Poland, and carries a potential sentence of up to two years in prison.

    What the fuck. I feel like this does more harm than good.

  • 21Cabbage@lemmynsfw.com
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    1 day ago

    I’m not going to give some asshat teenager the same level of shit as Elon. It’s a hell of a lot more likely in that context that he really was kidding, just distastefully.

  • Damaskox@lemmy.world
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    11 hours ago

    Fines and jail time is too much I think. I’d vote for a thorough reprimand and maybe cleaning the grounds from trash instead.