Report from Mark Etkind
Twelve Holocaust survivor/descendants have just signed a joint letter protesting against the Metropolitan police’s plan to prevent this Saturday’s Palestine march from gathering in Park Lane.
As descendants of survivors of the Jewish genocide, we are in despair at the UK Government’s complicity in the ongoing Palestinian genocide. Naturally, the Government and other supporters of Israeli crimes want to discredit and suppress any protests against this genocide. Having run out of other arguments, they can only resort to claims that our demonstrations are somehow antisemitic.
As descendants of survivors we take antisemitism extremely seriously. Consequently we would always make sure of our facts before accusing anyone of antisemitism. Unfortunately, many supporters of Israel are rarely so careful and they routinely accuse anyone who criticises Israel of antisemitism without any evidence.
The joint letter signed by twelve people:
The Metropolitan police have banned the 15 March Palestine protest from assembling in Park Lane. Their excuse is that Jewish attendees at a synagogue that is well away from the march route will suffer disruption of their religious worship.
We are writing as descendants of Jewish Holocaust survivors to protest against this clear attempt to dissuade people from opposing the Gaza genocide. Along with thousands of other openly Jewish protesters, we have attended numerous Palestine demos in London and have received nothing but support and warmth from our fellow demonstrators. To suggest that the 15 March protest is a threat to Jews, or is in any way antisemitic, is simply a fabrication in order to restrict everyone’s right to protest.
Yours Sincerely,
Agnes Kory (survivor of the Holocaust in Hungary)
Haim Bresheeth (son of two survivors of Auschwitz)
Anne Karpf (daughter of a survivor of Auschwitz)
Mark Etkind (son of a survivor of the Lodz ghetto and Buchenwald)
Peter Kapos (son of a survivor of the Holocaust in Hungary)
Yosefa Loshitzky (daughter of survivors of the Holocaust in Poland)
Carolyn Gelenter (daughter of a survivor of the Holocaust in Poland)
Charlotte Monro (daughter of a survivor of the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia)
Miranda Pinch (daughter of a survivor of the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia)
Peter Hall (son of a survivor of the Holocaust in Austria)
Chris Romberg (son of a survivor of the Holocaust in Austria)
Beatrice Hoffman (daughter of a survivor of the Holocaust in Austria)
The Palestine coalition’s statement on Saturday’s rerouted march can be found here.
Mark Etkind is co-organiser of Holocaust Survivors and Descendants against the Gaza Genocide.
