We Must Raise Our Voices to Stop the Ongoing Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza – Message from a Holocaust Survivor in Britain

We Must Raise Our Voices to Stop the Ongoing Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza – Message from a Holocaust Survivor in Britain

London: For over a year, large-scale protests have been taking place in London against Israel's attacks and oppression of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Among the participants in these protests is a Holocaust survivor, now 87 years old, who has shared the painful memories of his life with the public.

According to him, Israel's current plan is to destroy Palestinian society in Gaza and forcibly displace its people. While this process is somewhat different from Nazi Germany’s updated plans, it bears significant similarities. Sharing his personal experiences, he recounted how he witnessed the horrors of the German invasion of Hungary in 1944 and the sight of people dying before his eyes—an experience that still haunts him. He drew parallels between those horrors and the current devastation in Gaza.

In April 2024, he addressed a massive gathering in Hyde Park, where he spoke about Adolf Eichmann, who was responsible for sending 400,000 Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz. He shared how 15 members of his family were killed and spoke about his father's experiences in a concentration camp. Concluding his speech, he stated, “We, who have survived such oppression, massacres, humiliation, and destruction, do not stand with the Israeli government’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.”

Some media outlets falsely accused the protesters of incitement, alleging that they had threatened to vandalize the Holocaust memorial in Hyde Park. However, these accusations were baseless, as the protesters had primarily gathered to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and call for an end to the genocide by Israel.

Now, as Israel resumes its bombings in Gaza and the atrocities against civilians continue, protesters in Britain face increasing suppression, with efforts to portray them as a “march of hate” or as creating “no-go zones for Jews.”

Addressing this, the Holocaust survivor who took part in the protests stated, “The protesters are raising their voices for human rights and peace. Their intention is not violent; rather, they are engaging in peaceful demonstrations.”

Given the current situation, it is imperative that we speak out urgently, pressure our governments to take action to stop the genocide, and push for appropriate measures against Israel’s ongoing policies.

This report is sourced from Al Jazeera.