A recently formed non-profit organization called Doctors Against Genocide, or simply DAG, had plans to hold a meet-up at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. this Thursday, Dec. 28.
This event was part of its protest against Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip during the country's conflict with Hamas, which the group calls a "genocide." However, the meet-up has since been canceled due to vehement criticisms.
According to DAG's website, the group was established earlier this year in 2023 as a response to Israel's military operations in Gaza. Dag's primary mission, as per their homepage, "includes identifying, opposing, preventing, and eradicating genocide by uniting Healthcare Professionals in action."
In line with this, the Associated Press has reported that over 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in the span of the Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7, after around 1,200 Israelis were killed by an invasion of Hamas militants.
A press release addressing the backlash for the would-be event was posted on the organization's Instagram account on Dec. 26 and in it, the group wrote, "It was not our aim to protest inside or outside the museum, nor is it our intent to minimize the important work done by the Holocaust Memorial Museum."
"We are deeply affected by the horrors of the Holocaust and are moved to prevent similar atrocities," said DAG.
Read Also : Two Suspected 'Banksy Thieves' Arrested After the Artist's Recently Unveiled Artwork was Stolen in London
Criticisms From Stop Antisemitism and the US Holocaust Museum
American advocacy organization Stop Antisemitism was one of the critics that condemned DAG for their initial announcement in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter earlier on Dec. 26, writing, "Sickening, the newly formed [DAG] plans to infiltrate the U.S. Holocaust Museum this Thursday (12/28) to demand Israel stop defending itself against Hamas terrorism."
Similarly, the US Holocaust Museum has released its statement on X in light of the controversies stemming from DAG's canceled event on the afternoon of Dec. 26.
In its post, the institution wrote, "Our Museum is the national memorial to the six million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. It is deeply offensive to survivors and to the memory of the victims to exploit Holocaust history."
The museum continued by sharing the reason behind its "long-standing policy against protests," which is mainly to maintain the "space for the solemn memory of victims, the reflections of survivors, and its educational mission."
