The Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid has launched an internal investigation into an incident last weekend in which three Israeli tourists were expelled from the museum while carrying an Israeli flag and a necklace with the Star of David, with the goal of “clarifying the facts, unfortunately occurred.”
Dana Erlich, chargé d’affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Spain, posted on social media platform X: “We have seen how three Jewish women, wearing a Star of David and an Israeli flag, were expelled from a museum in Madrid for carrying these symbols.”
Erlich emphasised: “My flag is not a provocation,” regarding the incident, which has also been reported on the website of the European Jewish Congress. According to reports, the tourists—described as elderly—were asked to leave the national museum after several visitors reacted negatively to the symbols they displayed. A security guard escorted the women out of the premises. The women were reportedly accompanied by a Spanish visitor who recorded the incident on video.
The museum, part of Spain’s Ministry of Culture, stated in a press release: “The museum has requested its security department to immediately open an independent and transparent internal investigation to clarify what happened. The museum wishes to unequivocally affirm its commitment to equality, freedom of religion, and zero tolerance for any form of violence or discrimination related to antisemitism. Museum staff are highly trained in fundamental rights, conflict management, and the prevention of any type of discrimination.”
The statement also highlighted “the importance that both Jewish artists and patrons have had for the institution and its collection, particularly in the field of avant-garde art. Without their selfless collaboration, the museum as we know it today could not exist. For all these reasons, we will not stop until clarifying the facts, unfortunately occurred.”
