Israeli Knesset delegation to Auschwitz commemoration to hold special legislative session in gas chamber?

B'nai B'rith International reports that a special session of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) will be held in the "place of killing" at Auschwitz as part of the solemn commemoration on Monday, January 27 in honor of the victims of the holocaust.

A short article posted at the B'nai B'rith website states that "members of the Israeli legislature and Holocaust survivors to stand on the killing floor of the Nazis' factory of genocide" and "hold a special legislative session." It will be "a powerful message of perseverance of the Jewish people," it said.

Visitors are not allowed to walk around in the chamber (above), as it is now treated as a holy shrine. The same railings were in place in 2009 when I was there. We were herded through the opening in the wall at left, after seeing the cremation ovens, then given less than a minute to look before being ordered to leave to make room for others. The overhead lights were not on, so not much could be seen.

But I suppose the railings will be gone on Monday, Jan. 27 when the Knesset MP's "stand on the killing floor" in the "factory of death?"

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On Monday, January 27, the 69th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, "sixty-four members of Knesset, along with numerous Israeli ministers, Holocaust survivors and politicians from around the world" will take part in the Polish government’s annual ceremonies on the site of the [former] camp.

B’nai B’rith also commends its Polish counterpart, B’nai B’rith Poland, for its efforts to ensure the memory of Holocaust victims is never forgotten.

For a look at an alternate commemoration taking place on Monday, see www.jan27.org.