OPINION: I’m honoured to stand side-by-side with survivors
Ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day, London mayor Sadiq Khan pledges to honour those who perished and "do everything I can to root out antisemitism".
This week we have gathered together for services across London to commemorate the victims from one of the darkest chapters in human history.
I was honoured to stand side-by-side with survivors and community leaders to remember and reflect on the horrendous persecution of Jewish people in Europe and the millions of others around the world who have been killed through genocide as we marked Holocaust Memorial Day at City Hall.
As the Holocaust slowly moves from living memory to the pages of history, it becomes even more important to honour those who perished. The Holocaust was a depraved crime without parallel. We can only live up to our promise of ‘never again’ if we never forget and continue to educate subsequent generations about the evils of what happened.
That means reminding ourselves of the dangers of hatred and intolerance and reinforcing our resolve to never become complacent in the face of growing divisions in our society.
The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘Ordinary People’. It is a timely reminder that it is ordinary people who are slaughtered during genocide. But it is also ordinary people who persecute the innocent and facilitate oppression through indifference.
We have seen how this terror can grow and that is why it is so important that we stand against antisemitism and all hate crime.
As mayor, I will continue to lead from the front to ensure the Met takes a zero-tolerance approach to all hate crime in London and be clear that it has no place in our city.
We have to be forever vigilant, always on our guard against anyone seeking to stir up resentment or sow the seeds of division.
We also need to be proactive and robust in challenging those who spew hatred or peddle in the poison of antisemitism and stamp it out the second we see it.
As mayor, I will continue to lead from the front to ensure the Met takes a zero-tolerance approach to all hate crime in London and be clear that it has no place in our city.
We have invested more than £6m to support community organisations and civil society groups in tackling hate-crime and intolerance. This is part of our commitment to working with Jewish Londoners to ensure that we are addressing the issues that affect them, including tackling antisemitism.
Just last month, I joined Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, and Claire Waxman, London’s Victims Commissioner for a fruitful discussion on a host of issues with Jewish faith and community leaders at City Hall.
I will also proudly continue to recognise the part London’s Jewish communities play in enhancing and enriching our city. From attending Yom HaShoah to being a part of the Menorah lighting at Trafalgar Square, it is an honour to celebrate the incredible role Jewish communities play in our capital’s ongoing success.
Celebrating diversity and tackling hate crime is a job for all Londoners, and I will not stop encouraging our city and every community to stand in support of each other.
We all have a responsibility to work together, live together and look after one another.
That’s why I’ll continue doing everything I can to root out antisemitism and to ensure Jewish Londoners not only feel safe, but are safe in in our city.
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