Shoah Victims Demand Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Alleged Antisemitic Comments.
A collective of Shoah survivors has called for that Nigel Farage admit the facts and apologise for reported anti-Jewish abuse he reportedly directed toward Jewish pupils during his school days.
The Reform UK leader has previously stated he never targeted anyone with deliberate cruelty, suggesting it may have been mere "schoolyard talk".
"As Shoah survivors, we understand the deadly peril of bigoted language – because we have experienced firsthand where such words ultimately lead," wrote the survivors in a open letter.
"Let us be clear: praising Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or shouting racist insults is not banter. Not on a schoolyard. Not anywhere."
An Unequivocal Demand
The document poses blunt questions to the political figure: "Are the claims accurate that you stated ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them,’ and mimicked gas chambers? Did you expose your peers to anti-Jewish taunts?"
The Signatories
The group of eleven survivors features individuals with devastating personal experiences from the Nazi genocide.
- Hedi Argent, who lost 27 members of her family.
- Simon Winston, who was held in a ghetto before escaping in 1942 and spending the rest of the war in hiding.
- Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz-Birkenau and later moved to Bergen-Belsen, where she was rescued.
Other signatories include Janine Webber, Edith Jayne, Helen Aronson, Ruth Barnett, John Fieldsend, Susan Pollack, Hanneke Dye and Agnes Kaposi.
Mounting Testimony
This public letter comes after the rejection of similar accounts by more than two dozen former pupils and teachers as "made-up twaddle" by a deputy leader.
Following the publication, additional former pupils have spoken out. Twenty-eight people connected to the school now claim they observed racist or antisemitic behaviour by him.
One notable allegation comes from Peter Ettedgui, a Jewish-born Bafta and Emmy-winning director, who said that a young Farage would sidle up to him and utter the phrases "Hitler was right" and "gas them", sometimes making a hiss to simulate the sound of poison gas.
Further Allegations
Additional alumni from diverse backgrounds have likewise shared experiences with accounts of direct abuse.
- Cyrus Oshidar claimed he was branded a "Paki" and has rejected the idea that such actions were not meant to hurt.
- Another student of Asian heritage described 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 survivors' letter poses a final dilemma to Farage: "By denying saying those words, are you claiming that scores of witnesses are not telling the truth? If the words were spoken, now is the time to take responsibility and apologise."
"Those who hope to lead our country should never divide people by race or religion. Hatred of Jews must always be confronted. This moment is about ethical duty. The decision is yours, Mr Farage."
