Belgian train passengers were surprised on Thursday when the loudspeaker system suddenly announced: “Welcome to the train to Auschwitz. All Jews are asked to get off in Buchenwald.”
Belgium’s national railway company later condemned the announcement, which was heard at 4:51 pm on a train traveling from Brussels to Namur.
Inspectors who boarded the train Immediately following the incident were unable to locate the man responsible for the act.
“SNCB harshly condemns the act,” the train company said in an issued statement, adding that the antisemitic act can result in a lawsuit. According to the statement, the man who made the distasteful announcement was not an employee of the company.
Following the incident, an official complaint was filed with the railway company’s customer service and Jewish Parliament Member Vivian Teitelbaum.
Responding to the incident, Teitelbaum said: “Many were baffled to hear the announcement, but in my opinion more and more red lines are being crossed, and therefore I must respond. These types of incidents are also inspired by politicians who compare between certain things,” she said.
