Holocaust Victims Demand Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Alleged Antisemitic Remarks.
A group of Shoah survivors has insisted that Nigel Farage tell the truth and apologise for reported antisemitic abuse he is said to have made toward Jewish students during his time at school.
The political party leader has claimed he never insulted anyone with deliberate cruelty, framing it may have been mere "childish teasing".
"As Shoah survivors, we comprehend the grave risk of words of hatred – because we have witnessed where such words can lead," declared the survivors in a missive.
"Let us be clear: expressing admiration for Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or hurling racist abuse is not teasing. Not in a playground. Not anywhere."
A Pointed Inquiry
The letter puts forth straightforward questions to the party leader: "Are the claims accurate that you stated ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them,’ and mimicked gas chambers? Did you subject your fellow pupils to bigoted harassment?"
The Survivors
The collective of 11 survivors contains individuals with deeply traumatic personal experiences from the Nazi genocide.
- Hedi Argent, who was bereaved of 27 members of her family.
- Simon Winston, who was confined to a ghetto before breaking out in 1942 and living through the rest of the war in hiding.
- Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau and later incarcerated at Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated.
Additional names on the letter include Janine Webber, Edith Jayne, Helen Aronson, Ruth Barnett, John Fieldsend, Susan Pollack, Hanneke Dye and Agnes Kaposi.
Mounting Testimony
This action follows the dismissal of similar testimony by more than several dozen ex-schoolmates and teachers as "fabricated nonsense" by a deputy leader.
After the story broke, additional former pupils have spoken out. Twenty-eight people connected to the school now assert they saw racist or antisemitic behaviour by him.
One well-known testimony comes from Peter Ettedgui, a Jewish-born Bafta and Emmy-winning director, who has stated that a young Farage would sidle up to him and repeat the phrases "Hitler was correct" and "gas them", on occasion making a prolonged hissing sound to imitate the sound of poison gas.
Further Allegations
More individuals from ethnic minorities have additionally come forward with allegations of direct abuse.
- Cyrus Oshidar stated he was called a "racial slur" and has dismissed the idea that such actions were without intent.
- Another pupil of Asian descent described him as an "open racist" who would use the phrase "Enoch Powell was right" as a form of "racial intimidation".
The Survivors' Final Appeal
The survivors' letter asks a concluding challenge to Farage: "By denying saying those words, are you claiming that scores of witnesses are fabricating their stories? If the words were spoken, now is the moment to admit your error and make amends."
"Individuals who aspire to lead our country should not ever create division by race or religion. Hatred of Jews must never be normalised. This moment is about ethical duty. The path forward is yours, Mr Farage."
