Shoah Victims Demand Nigel Farage to Apologise Over Claimed Antisemitic Statements.

A coalition of Shoah survivors has insisted that Nigel Farage tell the truth and express remorse for alleged antisemitic taunts he is said to have made toward Jewish pupils during his youth.

The political party leader has claimed he never racially abused anyone with malicious intent, suggesting it may have been mere "childish teasing".

"As Shoah survivors, we understand the profound danger of words of hatred – for we have experienced firsthand where such words can lead," wrote the survivors in a letter.

"It is crucial to understand: praising Hitler, mimicking gas chambers, or hurling racist abuse is not banter. Not among children. Not under any circumstances."

An Unequivocal Demand

The document asks direct questions to the party leader: "Did you say ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them,’ accompanied by mimicking gas chambers? Did you subject your classmates to anti-Jewish taunts?"

The Survivors

The collective of 11 survivors features individuals with devastating personal histories from the Nazi genocide.

• Hedi Argent, who was bereaved of 27 members of her family.
• Simon Winston, who was imprisoned in a ghetto before breaking out in 1942 and living through the rest of the war concealed.
• Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz-Birkenau and later incarcerated at Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated.

Other signatories include Janine Webber, Edith Jayne, Helen Aronson, Ruth Barnett, John Fieldsend, Susan Pollack, Hanneke Dye and Agnes Kaposi.

Increasing Allegations

This public letter comes after the rejection of similar testimony by more than several dozen former pupils and teachers as "complete fiction" by a senior party figure.

Since the initial report, additional former pupils have shared their stories. Nearly thirty former pupils and teachers now state they saw bigoted conduct by him.

One notable allegation comes from Peter Ettedgui, a Jewish award-winning director, who recalls that a young Farage would come near him and utter the phrases "Hitler was right" and "send them to the gas chambers", sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of poison gas.

A Broader Pattern

Other former pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds have likewise spoken publicly with stories of personal harassment.

• Cyrus Oshidar stated he was referred to as a "racial slur" and has labelled as rubbish the idea that such actions were devoid of malice.
• Another pupil of Asian descent portrayed him as an "blatant racist" who would use the phrase "Enoch Powell was correct" as a form of "racial bullying".

A Concluding Demand

The missive from survivors poses a final challenge to Farage: "Should you continue to deny saying those words, are you claiming that 20 former classmates and teachers are lying? Should the allegations be true, now is the opportunity to acknowledge you were wrong and make amends."

"People who aspire to lead our country should under no circumstances divide people by race or religion. Hatred of Jews must never become acceptable. This moment is about moral responsibility. The decision is yours, Mr Farage."