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

Price Tag Attackers: Extremist Settler Violence in the West Bank.

  Year-by-year breakdown of documented " Price Tag" attacks in the West Bank and Israel , based on reports from UN OCHA , B’Tselem , Yesh Din , and Israeli media (Haaretz, Times of Israel). Introduction to "Price Tag" Attackers  "Price Tag" attackers are extremist Israeli settlers , primarily affiliated with radical right-wing groups, who carry out violent acts agains Palestinians, Israeli security forces, and left-wing activists  in retaliation for perceived threats to Jewish settlements in the West Bank . The term refers to the " price " they seek to impose for actions like outpost demolitions or Palestinian attacks on Israelis.   - Vandalism, arson, or violence by extremist settlers against Palestinians, Israeli security forces, or left-wing activists.      - Often involves graffiti (e.g., "Price Tag," "Revenge," or "Arabs Out").     - Retaliation for Palestinian attacks, outpost demolitions, or Israeli gover...

The Politicization of Antisemitism: Randy Fine, AIPAC, and the Fight Over Anti-Israel Speech

  Randy Fine.  Brief introduction of Randy Fine.  Randy Fine is a U.S. Representative-Elect for Florida's 6th Congressional District and a former Florida State Senator . Born on April 20, 1974, in Tucson , Arizona , Fine holds degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Business School . He began his political career in 2016 as a member of the Florida House of Representatives and later served in the Florida Senate. Fine is known for his strong pro-Israel stance, earning him the nickname " Hebrew Hammer, " and his socially conservative views . He has been involved in contentious legislation and has faced both support and criticism for his policies and rhetoric. Detailed overview of Randy Fine 's stance and legislative efforts related to criminalizing the distribution of anti-Israel flyers, along with broader context about his political agenda and controversies : --- 1. Randy Fine’s Legislative Efforts Against Anti-Israel Flyers - Florida’s Hate Crime Law (2023): ...

The Media Sold the War. We Watched It Happen.

What Adam H. Johnson’s How to Sell a Genocide reveals—and what the question of digital witnessing forces us to confront There is a disturbing question at the heart of the Gaza catastrophe that cannot be answered simply by asking what governments did, what armies did, or even what the media reported. There is another question: What did the world do while watching? Adam H. Johnson’s How to Sell a Genocide: The Media’s Complicity in the Destruction of Gaza, published by Pluto Press, approaches Gaza through the machinery of mainstream American media. His investigation examines how some of the most influential institutions in the Western information system—including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and MSNBC—framed the destruction of Gaza. It is an important question because wars are not fought only with weapons. They are also fought through language. Before bombs become statistics, they become headlines. Before civilian deaths become numbers, they become narratives. Before dest...

CLIMATE CHANGE

FOR STARTERS: WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE? The issues: 1. Are humans responsible for most of the global temperature rise of the past century or so, or is the increase just a typical fluctuation in global temperature? 2.  If most of the temperature rise can be attributed to increases in anthropogenic CO 2 emissions, what are the likely consequences if no action is taken to curb these emissions? What is the evidence?  Is it compelling? § What is the scientific consensus? § Climate models and their predictions § Consequences of the predictions § Strategies for change Chemistry we need to learn § The Earth’s energy balance - the greenhouse effect § The shapes of molecules - valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory § Molecular vibrations – how they absorb IR radiation § Masses and moles - weighing to count molecules Earth’s atmospher     a) The Earth is about 33 O C warmer than  expected  if we consider on...

The Price of Their Silence: How Islamophobia Became an Industry—and Muslims Its Global Collateral

  🖋️ By Malik Mukhtar 📍 ainnbeen.blogspot.com | 🗓️ June 28, 2025 They bombed Iraq for democracy. Tortured Afghans in the name of security. Waterboarded bodies at Guantanamo and called it “enhanced interrogation.” And now in Gaza—they bury children under rubble and whisper, self-defense . This isn’t a war on terror. It’s a war on memory, on names, on brown bodies that pray in Arabic. And Islamophobia has been its golden engine—powerful, profitable, and protected. 🧠 Islamophobia: Not Just Prejudice—A $Billions Industry Islamophobia is not just a bias—it’s a well-funded psychological operation . According to the Center for American Progress , over $42 million was channeled (2001–2011) into think tanks and media fronts to craft and normalize anti-Muslim sentiment. This isn’t random—it’s strategic. The goal: keep the public afraid —of Muslims, of mosques, of immigrants, of something called Sharia Law . 📘 Sharia Law: The Manufactured Threat That Never Was Let’s be c...