A collective of Holocaust survivors has publicly called on Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, to take responsibility for, and issue an apology regarding, alleged antisemitic comments he made towards Jewish pupils during his time at Dulwich College. The exclusive open letter, signed by eleven survivors, asserts that Farage must provide an honest account of his behaviour during his school days. Farage previously commented that he never racially abused anyone intentionally but conceded that he may have engaged in "banter in a playground." However, the group of survivors, whose testimony was seen by the Guardian, stressed the severe consequences of hateful language, directly linking it to their personal experiences of the atrocities. They unequivocally stated that "praising Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or hurling racist abuse is not banter," regardless of the setting. The letter directly challenges Farage, asking him to confirm or deny the allegations: "Did you say ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them,’ mimicking gas chambers? Did you subject your classmates to antisemitic abuse?", reports The WP Time with reference to the Guardian.
The survivors who signed the letter include individuals with profound personal losses and harrowing experiences: Hedi Argent, who tragically lost 27 family members in the Holocaust; Simon Winston, who escaped a ghetto in September 1942 and spent the remainder of the war in hiding; and Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a survivor of both Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated by British forces in April 1945. The group’s intervention follows controversial statements made by Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, who dismissed the comprehensive testimony of more than two dozen people as "made-up twaddle." Since the initial Guardian investigation into Farage's alleged behaviour two weeks prior, the number of former pupils and teachers who have come forward to corroborate accounts of racist or antisemitic conduct at the south London school has grown to twenty-eight.
Among those offering testimony is Peter Ettedgui, an Emmy and Bafta-winning director of Jewish background, who claims a teenage Farage would frequently approach him to say "Hitler was right" and "gas them," occasionally adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas chambers. Eight other contemporaries have provided corroborating accounts of Farage targeting Ettedgui, with most offering their statements on the record, though only one is currently active in party politics (as the chair of the Liberal Democrats in Salisbury). Nick Hearn, a banker who described himself as a "conservative with a small c," is among the new former schoolmates to come forward, confirming he regularly saw the current Reform leader verbally abusing Ettedgui and urging Farage to "come clean." Tice, however, defended Farage on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme by calling Ettedgui a liar and suggesting the former pupils making statements were motivated by a "political axe to grind."
The survivors’ letter pressed Farage further, asking whether his denial of abusing Ettedgui implied that he was accusing Ettedgui and the multitude of other witnesses of lying. The group urged the politician to acknowledge his errors and apologise if the claims were true. They concluded with a strong moral challenge: "Those who hope to lead our country should never divide people by race or religion. Antisemitic hatred must never be normalised. This moment is about moral responsibility. The choice is yours, Mr Farage." Furthermore, other former pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds have also stepped forward, alleging direct abuse from Farage. This includes Cyrus Oshidar, who reported Farage calling him a "Paki" and called the claim that Farage acted without intent to hurt "rubbish." Another Asian-heritage student from the same year described Farage as an open racist who would invoke the phrase "Enoch Powell was right" in what he perceived as a form of "racial intimidation." Reform UK has been contacted for comment regarding these most recent allegations.
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