Skip to main content

“Never Again” for Everyone: Holocaust Survivors Speak Out Against Gaza War.




Introduction

As we mark Yom HaShoah, a sacred day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, a powerful countermovement is gaining ground. Survivors and their descendants are speaking out—not just in remembrance, but in resistance.

Their message:

“Never again” must mean never again for anyone.


A Day of Memory Meets a Moment of Crisis

This year’s commemoration coincides with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen. But in London and beyond, some Jewish voices are breaking with traditional ceremonies to raise urgent alarms about Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, which has claimed over 51,000 Palestinian lives since October 2023.

“I can’t think of a better commemoration for the six million,”
Mark Etkind, son of a Holocaust survivor


The Danger of Political Co-option

At last year’s Yom HaShoah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared,

“Never again is now,”
linking the Holocaust to Hamas’s deadly attacks. Survivors like Agnes Kory and Stephen Kapos are pushing back:

“I am outraged and deeply insulted by the Holocaust being used as an excuse for Israel’s relentless war,”
Agnes Kory, Holocaust survivor


Voices of Dissent in the Jewish Community

From carrying placards to signing open letters, Holocaust survivors and descendants are at the forefront of pro-Palestinian protests in London:

They conflate Jewishness with what they are doing… it inevitably increases antisemitism,”
Stephen Kapos

Yet the official Jewish institutions in the UK, such as the Board of Deputies and Chief Rabbi’s Office, have remained staunchly aligned with Israel—until recently.

A group of 36 board members published an open letter in the Financial Times condemning Israel’s actions, stating:

“Our Jewish values compel us to stand up and speak out.”

Their courage was met with suspension and disciplinary actions.


Resisting in Their Name

For many survivors, the misuse of Holocaust memory is not only offensive but dangerous. It risks validating oppression and perpetuating cycles of violence under the guise of historical justice.

“The abuse of the Holocaust by Zionism is one of the great crimes against humanity,”
Haim Bresheeth, Israeli academic and son of Auschwitz survivors


Conclusion: Memory as Moral Compass

The survivors and their families are clear: to honor the victims of the Holocaust is to resist the oppression of any people, anywhere.

As candles burn in remembrance this Yom HaShoah, these voices remind us:

"To remember the Holocaust is to ensure it is never used to justify harm."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

💔 One Eye for Gaza: Hannah Thomas and the Price of Speaking Truth

🖋️ By Malik Mukhtar 📍 ainnbeen.blogspot.com | 🗓️ June 29, 2025 She stood on the pavement—Hannah Thomas, lawyer, activist, former Greens candidate. She stood—holding no weapon, only a banner and a conscience. She stood—outside a factory that allegedly helps plate the steel for F-35 jets now raining hell on Gaza. And for that—Australian police slammed her to the ground. Now, she may never see from her right eye again. Let that sentence burn into your mind: “She may lose her sight—for standing against genocide.” 🇵🇸 In Gaza, Eyes Are Lost Forever In Gaza, there are no surgeons left for eyes. Eyes are buried beneath concrete. Eyes were starved shut. Eyes were blinded by phosphorus, smoke, dust. Children in Gaza have forgotten what it means to look up without fear. And still, the bombs fall. From October 7, 2023 to now, tens of thousands dead—many torn apart by American-made weapons, polished and prepped by foreign contractors. The livestream genocide has not stopped. The...

🏗️ Corporate Complicity in Genocide: The Global Economy Behind Gaza’s Ruin.

📅 July 5, 2025 “We are witnessing not just genocide in Gaza—but a genocide made profitable.” — UN Special Rapporteur, A/HRC/59/23 “This report is written from the heart of darkness . It is penned with a broken hand from a broken land for a broken people . But its words are not broken . They are the words of law and of longing . They are the words of those who are not yet silenced . It is written for Palestinians , first and foremost. It is also addressed to those who remain silent , indifferent or complicit . And it is a call to action for those who are not.” — Introduction, UN Report A/HRC/59/23 In an unprecedented and unflinching report to the UN Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has laid bare the truth that much of the world’s corporate, academic, and financial architecture is actively complicit in Israel’s occupation, apartheid, and now, genocide in Gaza. This isn’t just about military aggression . This is about the mac...

🕯️ The Day Tel Aviv Trembled: Iran’s Missiles and the Crumbling Illusion of Invincibility

  By ainnbeen.blogspot.com For decades, Israel projected an image of invulnerability— a fortress powered by American billions , state-of-the-art missile defenses, and a myth of unmatched military precision. But in a chilling shift, that illusion is cracking. As Iranian missiles rained down on Tel Aviv, not through proxies but directly from Tehran, the world witnessed what was once unthinkable: the heart of Israel under direct attack, air-raid sirens wailing , embassies shuttered , and diplomats fleeing. This isn’t just a military development —it’s a political earthquake . And it exposes deep fractures in Israel’s defense doctrine, regional strategy, and perhaps most importantly —its belief that it could strike without consequence. 🔥 1. Iranian Missiles Hit Tel Aviv: The Strike That Shattered Complacency In what appears to be retaliation for Israel’s continuous sabotage campaigns — nuclear facility strikes , assassinations of IRGC commanders — Iran unleashed a salvo...

"Globalize the Intifada”—Or How to Offend Power by Naming Its Crimes

  📰 The New York Times and the Art of Grieving Selectively ✍️ By Malik Mukhtar 📍 ainnbeen.blogspot.com 📅 July 2, 2025 Bret Stephens is upset. Again. Apparently, he’s still recovering from Café Moment. And Passover in Netanya. And that one horrific morning in 2004 when he saw carnage on Azza Street. And he has every right to grieve those losses. Every human does. But here’s the thing: Some corpses get columns. Others get erased. Stephens, perched on the prestigious opinion page of The New York Times , just spent a full-length sermon condemning Zohran Mamdani—not for what he said, but for what he refused to denounce: the phrase “ globalize the intifada.” According to Bret, refusing to ritually cleanse your political career with the holy water of pro-Israel respectability is now akin to blessing bus bombings. What “ globalize the intifada” really means, Mr. Stephens, is refusing to accept a world where genocide is livestreamed, and the world just shrugs. It means dari...

🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iran’s Missile Strikes on U.S. Bases | June 23, 2025 Operation Tidings of Victory

📍 What Happened On the evening of June 23 , around 8:00 p.m. local time (17:00 UTC) , Iran launched a coordinated missile attack on multiple U.S. military sites: Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar : ~10 missiles launched. Explosions were heard over Doha. Qatar’s air defense systems intercepted several. U.S. outposts in Iraq : Specific bases were hit; names have not been officially disclosed. Mentions of the U.S. Consulate in Erbil and sites in Kuwait : Reports are unconfirmed regarding direct hits in Kuwait. 📉 Damage & Casualties No confirmed U.S. fatalities or serious injuries reported. Damage appears limited to infrastructure: some runways, radar systems, tents, and non-critical equipment were affected. Qatar successfully intercepted multiple missiles. No civilian injuries have been reported in Doha. In Iraq and Kuwait , initial assessments indicate no significant troop harm . 📌 Background & Context The attack is seen as a retaliatory strike by Iran for...