The British branch of Israel's Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem, was "debanked" and had its bank account closed due to an "administrative error," a spokesperson for the NatWest banking company told The Daily Mail.
"We have apologized to the customer as this was an administrative error and we will be continuing to bank Yad Vashem UK. We are working to ensure something similar does not happen again and are sorry for the upset caused,” the spokesperson said.
Last week, NatWest caused fury in the UK when it was revealed that the bank was ceasing all relations with Yad Vashem "following a recent review" in July. Yad Vashem UK was informed that it had under four months to find a new bank before its account would be permanently closed.
The bank told Yad Vashem, "We are not able to discuss this decision with you or provide you with any further information in relation to our decision-making."
Yad Vashem UK chairman Simon Bentley called the move "shocking," telling the Mail, “Yad Vashem is an apolitical registered charity focused on Holocaust education, handling unprecedented levels of anti-Semitism here in the UK and worldwide. We have, I'm sure, only proven to be a model customer with NatWest for many years, consistently maintaining our current account in credit, with large levels of funding on deposit with them. I can't understand why NatWest almost jeopardized Holocaust education in this way."
Jewish organizations in the UK reacted with outrage and demanded an explanation and an apology. The Campaign Against Antisemitism stated, "At a time of surging anti-Semitism and pressure on financial institutions to sever ties with Jewish groups and the Jewish state, the bank owes Yad Vashem and the Jewish community an explanation."
In response to the outcry, NatWest agreed to reverse its decision and apologize to Yad Vashem.