‘We won’t stand for it’: 4000 witness Home Secretary’s Jew-hate vow at Yom HaShoah event
'Once in a generation' ceremony honours survivors and liberators at the proposed site of new Holocaust memorial and learning centre by Parliament
Yvette Cooper tonight vowed to “never forget that the road to the Holocaust began in a democracy” as she addressed around 4000 community members and allies at the National Yom HaShoah Commemoration.
The event – in Victoria Tower Gardens by the Houses of Parliament – marked 80 years since the end of the Holocaust and the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by British Armed Forces.
The Home Secretary said: “More than three quarters of a century on, we know antisemitism has remained stubbornly present in our own society, and the torrent of antisemitism that swept through countries, including here in the UK, following the October 7th barbaric terrorist attacks, was sickening and intolerable.
“I want to say to Britain’s Jewish communities, on behalf of the Government and of Members of Parliament from across all political parties, we will not stand for it, not now, not ever.”
Pic: Meron Persey Photography
The minister delivered her remarks in Victoria Tower Gardens – the proposed site of the new UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre – at a ceremony organised by Yom HaShoah UK and compered by National Holocaust Museum chair Henry Grunwald . Among the guests were 33 Holocaust survivors- one of the largest gatherings in recent years – alongside 300 Jewish schoolchildren who sung a moving rendition of Yom HaShoah UK’s official anthem ‘Never Again’.
Of the Holocaust Memorial, the Home Secretary added: “In the shadow of Parliament… it must be a constant reminder of what happens when our democratic values and traditions fail, and also to show us how democracies remember and learn from the past.
“We must continue to listen to the survivors’ stories, which, with every passing year become so much more precious. That link between the past, present and future is more important than ever before.” She reiterated the Government’s pledge that the memorial and learning centre would proceed at that key location, despite continued opposition from some quarters.
Cooper also paid tribute to Holocaust survivor, Eve Kugler, who died yesterday aged 94. “Eve lived through the unimaginable as a young child but went on to become the most extraordinary educator and was incredibly inspirational to so many around the world.”
Pic: Meron Persey Photography
Testimony came from Susan Pollack OBE, a survivor of Bergen-Belsen, who spoke of her “pride in calling Britain my home”, but warned “remembrance is not passive- it is a call to action”. Normandy veteran and Bergen-Belsen liberator, Mervyn Kersh, 100, also shared his experience meeting survivors outside the camp and read a special poem he had authored for the occasion.
Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg said: “We gather tonight not in sorrow, but in solidarity in our thousands, in the very shadow of Parliament. We are bound together by the sacred duty to carry these memories forwards.
“We are living through difficult times. Antisemitism has surged. Fear has crept into places we once felt secure and hostages remain in captivity. Many in our community feel vulnerable in ways we have not for decades. But we must respond not with despair but with unity.”
He also praised the Home Secretary for her “moral leadership” in pressing ahead with new legislation to ensure Jewish people can worship and gather free from intimidation.
Pic: Meron Persey Photography
Reflecting on the ceremony, Dan Fox, AJEX National Chair, said: “This evening is particularly poignant to consider the contribution made by Jewish servicemen and women to the Victory in Europe, given the nature of the enemy faced, and the consequence of ending the Holocaust.
“Over 100,000 Jews served with British forces during WWII, a contribution well out of proportion to the community’s size, and which we can honour and remember today as part of learning the lessons of the Shoah.”
On Sunday, AJEX will take a UK delegation to the international ceremony at Bergen-Belsen marking 80 years since liberation.
Other speakers included Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely and the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who drew loud applause when stating: “Today we are strong thanks to the fact we have numerous, wonderful non-Jewish friends and supporters and their solidarity is deeply appreciated by us.”
Attendees also heard the historic 1945 BBC broadcast of Bergen-Belsen survivors singing Hatikvah, followed by an 80-flame yellow candle procession symbolising generational memory.
Interspersed with the activities on stage, actress Louisa Klein interviewed key figures in Holocaust education including the leaders of Karen Pollock (HET), Olivia Marks-Woldman (HMDT), Michael Newman (AJR) and Marc Cave (NHC), as well as Dov Forman, who took Holocaust education to millions on social media with his great-grandmother Lily Ebert. Cartoonist Zoom Rockman also discussed his animated film Survivor alongside Ivor Perl, whose story is told in the film.
As the ceremony wrapped up, representatives of various youth movements jointly recited a pledge to continue to commemorate Yom HaShoah annually.
Yom HaShoah UK chair Neil Martin, who produced the commemoration, said: “Tonight was a once-in-a-generation moment — not only to remember, but to come together as one community in our thousands, across generations, to honour the last living witnesses of the Holocaust. Standing outside Parliament, surrounded by survivors, refugees, liberators, schoolchildren, and civic leaders, we showed that memory matters — and that their legacy is in safe hands. In these uncertain times, this ceremony was a powerful statement of unity, resilience, and, most importantly of all, hope.”
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