The proposed hosting of an Anne Frank exhibition has sparked a war of words between relatives of Holocaust survivors and anti-Israel campaigners.
Councillors in Aberystwyth rejected the possibility of accommodating a month-long exhibition, following a request from the Anne Frank Trust.
One council member questioned the "pertinence" of hosting the project which he felt was "not appropriate".
But the council confirmed this week that it had turned down the request for cost alone. The Trust charges at least £16,000 to cover transport, setting up and insurance of the exhibits.
After The Cambrian News reported the rejection, "appalled" readers wrote in to attack the council.
Jackie Bat-Isha, daughter of Shoah survivors, wrote: "We must never underestimate the power of education in the struggle against antisemitism ."
But Charley Young claimed Israel was an apartheid state which had "brutally oppressed" Palestinians.
Council clerk Jim Griffiths said: "The cost of bringing the show here is a non-starter. We are actively trying to find sponsors to help us pay for it."