🔗 Share this article Shoah Victims Demand Nigel Farage to Apologise Over Alleged Anti-Jewish Statements. A coalition of Shoah survivors has called for that Nigel Farage be honest and express remorse for alleged anti-Jewish abuse attributed to him toward Jewish schoolmates during his youth. The Reform UK leader has said he never targeted anyone with malicious intent, framing it may have been mere "childish teasing". "Being Holocaust survivors, we grasp the deadly peril of hateful words – because we have experienced firsthand where such words can lead," declared the survivors in a letter. "It is crucial to understand: lauding Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or shouting racist insults is not simple joking. Not among children. Not under any circumstances." An Unequivocal Demand The correspondence puts forth blunt questions to the party leader: "Is it true you said ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them,’ and mimicked gas chambers? Did you subject your peers to antisemitic abuse?" The Survivors The group of 11 survivors includes individuals with devastating personal stories from the Holocaust. Hedi Argent, who was bereaved of 27 members of her immediate and extended family. Simon Winston, who was held in a ghetto before breaking out in 1942 and spending the rest of the war concealed. Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz-Birkenau and later incarcerated at Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated. Other signatories include Janine Webber, Edith Jayne, Helen Aronson, Ruth Barnett, John Fieldsend, Susan Pollack, Hanneke Dye and Agnes Kaposi. Increasing Allegations This public letter is a response to the characterisation of related allegations by more than two dozen ex-schoolmates and teachers as "made-up twaddle" by a deputy leader. After the story broke, further individuals from that era have shared their stories. Twenty-eight ex-students and educators now claim they observed bigoted conduct by him. One prominent allegation comes from Peter Ettedgui, a Jewish-born award-winning director, who has stated that a young Farage would approach him and repeat the phrases "Hitler was right" and "send them to the gas chambers", sometimes making a long hiss to mimic the sound of gas chambers. Further Allegations Additional alumni from ethnic minorities have also spoken publicly with accounts of targeted insults. Cyrus Oshidar stated he was referred to as a "racial slur" and has labelled as rubbish the idea that such actions were devoid of malice. Another individual with Asian roots portrayed him as an "open racist" who would use the phrase "Enoch Powell had a point" as a form of "racial intimidation". The Ultimate Question The final appeal puts forth an ultimate question to Farage: "If you deny saying those words, are you claiming that dozens of individuals are fabricating their stories? If the words were spoken, now is the time to acknowledge you were wrong and say sorry." "Those who aspire to lead our country should not ever sow discord by ethnicity or faith. Hatred of Jews must never be normalised. This moment is about moral responsibility. The path forward is yours, Mr Farage."
A coalition of Shoah survivors has called for that Nigel Farage be honest and express remorse for alleged anti-Jewish abuse attributed to him toward Jewish schoolmates during his youth. The Reform UK leader has said he never targeted anyone with malicious intent, framing it may have been mere "childish teasing". "Being Holocaust survivors, we grasp the deadly peril of hateful words – because we have experienced firsthand where such words can lead," declared the survivors in a letter. "It is crucial to understand: lauding Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or shouting racist insults is not simple joking. Not among children. Not under any circumstances." An Unequivocal Demand The correspondence puts forth blunt questions to the party leader: "Is it true you said ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them,’ and mimicked gas chambers? Did you subject your peers to antisemitic abuse?" The Survivors The group of 11 survivors includes individuals with devastating personal stories from the Holocaust. Hedi Argent, who was bereaved of 27 members of her immediate and extended family. Simon Winston, who was held in a ghetto before breaking out in 1942 and spending the rest of the war concealed. Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz-Birkenau and later incarcerated at Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated. Other signatories include Janine Webber, Edith Jayne, Helen Aronson, Ruth Barnett, John Fieldsend, Susan Pollack, Hanneke Dye and Agnes Kaposi. Increasing Allegations This public letter is a response to the characterisation of related allegations by more than two dozen ex-schoolmates and teachers as "made-up twaddle" by a deputy leader. After the story broke, further individuals from that era have shared their stories. Twenty-eight ex-students and educators now claim they observed bigoted conduct by him. One prominent allegation comes from Peter Ettedgui, a Jewish-born award-winning director, who has stated that a young Farage would approach him and repeat the phrases "Hitler was right" and "send them to the gas chambers", sometimes making a long hiss to mimic the sound of gas chambers. Further Allegations Additional alumni from ethnic minorities have also spoken publicly with accounts of targeted insults. Cyrus Oshidar stated he was referred to as a "racial slur" and has labelled as rubbish the idea that such actions were devoid of malice. Another individual with Asian roots portrayed him as an "open racist" who would use the phrase "Enoch Powell had a point" as a form of "racial intimidation". The Ultimate Question The final appeal puts forth an ultimate question to Farage: "If you deny saying those words, are you claiming that dozens of individuals are fabricating their stories? If the words were spoken, now is the time to acknowledge you were wrong and say sorry." "Those who aspire to lead our country should not ever sow discord by ethnicity or faith. Hatred of Jews must never be normalised. This moment is about moral responsibility. The path forward is yours, Mr Farage."