Jews Against Genocide mark Holocaust Memorial Day

An alternative ceremony and other commemorations in London on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

Monday was the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz; while world leaders who support the genocide in Gaza were laying flowers and signing the visitor’s book at Auschwitz, many British Jews wanted to mark the day with its true message of NEVER AGAIN.

In the rain and wind of a cold January day, Jews Against Genocide met at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, later continuing to Liverpool Street station and the statue to commemorate the kindertransport.  The group includes holocaust survivors and descendants of holocaust survivors.

Several people spoke, and as well as holding a three minute silence, they listened to a recording of a Palestinian friend calling out the Muslim prayer for the dead. The Jewish Kaddish for the dead was read in Hebrew and English and then two wreaths were laid – one, of Stars of David and the other in Palestinian colours.

Later the same afternoon, the group joined others at the Kindertransport statue at Liverpool station, which commemorates the arrival of some 10,000 Jewish children  from all over Europe who, in the late Thirties, were allowed to come to the UK.

There, they sang, made speeches and gave readings (including Refaat Alareer’s poem “If I must die”), and laid their wreaths at the foot of the Kindertransport children statue.

In the evening, the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) organised a protest outside the Polish embassy. This was in response to Polish PM Donald Tusk’s announcement that Benjamin Netanyahu would be free to come to a memorial in Auschwitz without fear of arrest in spite of his international warrant for war.

In the end, it appears the Israeli PM did not travel to Poland.

Thousands of British Jews do not support the State of Israel’s apartheid and genocidal treatment of Palestinians, and are frustrated that their voices are not heard. Yesterday was a chance to remind us that ‘Never Again’ should mean never again for anyone, and as Polish activist Marek Edelman said, “to be a Jew means always being with the oppressed, never with the oppressors”.

GS

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This short video from Realmedia provides a moving account of the events described above.

And this seven minute video from DoubleDown News  also covers the event and interviews Holocaust survivor, Stephen Kapos and two children of Jewish Holocaust survivors.