Bosnia’s National Museum is standing by its decision to donate proceeds from the display of the Sarajevo Haggadah, a priceless 14th-century Jewish manuscript, to the people of Gaza. The museum said that revenue from ticket sales to view the manuscript, along with sales of a book about it, would be directed toward “supporting the people of Palestine who suffer systematic, calculated and cold-blooded terror, directly by the state of Israel.”
The move has drawn sharp criticism from several Jewish organisations abroad, including the New York-based Anti-Defamation League, which accused the museum of politicising a cultural treasure. Locally, Jakob Finci, president of the Bosnian Jewish community, described the decision as “bizarre” and “a bit offensive,” arguing it tarnishes Sarajevo’s long reputation for coexistence and the symbolic value of the Haggadah.
Museum director Mirsad Sijarić, however, defended the donation, saying he has also received support from Jewish individuals worldwide. “Did we choose one of the sides? Yes, we chose one of the sides,” he told AFP. “Feigning neutrality is siding with evil. In my opinion, this is pure evil, and one must oppose it.” He stressed the decision was not against Jewish people, but rather an act of solidarity with civilians in Gaza.
The Sarajevo Haggadah is one of the most treasured cultural artifacts of medieval Jewish heritage. Believed to have been created in Barcelona around 1350, it was brought to Sarajevo by Jews expelled from Spain in 1492. The manuscript has survived centuries of upheaval, including Nazi occupation during World War II and the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s. Today, it sits in a specially designed, climate-controlled room, opened in 2018 after a French-funded renovation.
For many in Sarajevo, the Haggadah has long symbolised the city’s multiethnic and multi-religious character. The illuminated parchment pages, which depict biblical scenes such as the creation of the world and the exodus from Egypt, continue to attract scholars and visitors from around the globe. Some tourists welcomed the museum’s gesture. “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 controversy comes as the humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to rise. According to health officials in the enclave, more than 62,895 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, while 1,163 Israelis have died since the start of the conflict. While international observers have not independently verified all figures due to restrictions on access, the scale of suffering has fueled heated debates far beyond the Middle East—including in Sarajevo, where one of the world’s most precious manuscripts is now at the centre of both cultural pride and political controversy.
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