Never again means for anyone
Among the most powerful voices calling for international solidarity with Palestine are anti-Zionists Jews, especially the survivors of the Nazi Holocaust during the Second World War who today speak out against Israel. In the statement republished below, more than 200 Jewish survivors and descendants of Jewish survivors of the Nazi genocide condemn Israel's massacre on Gaza and call for an end to the genocide of the Palestinian people.
The statement also speaks out against organizers describe "the abuse of [the survivors'] histories to promote the dehumanization of Palestinians"--in particular, the despicable ads, composed by renown author Elie Wiesel among others and published in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Guardian, among other publications. The ad's headline claims that "Jews rejected child sacrifice 3,500 years ago. Now it's Hamas' turn." This is a reference to the Israeli propaganda that Hamas uses children as "human shields"--a claim for which not one single piece of evidence has been offered. This sickening slander of the Palestinian people is, as Electronic Intifada put it, "incitement to genocide."
AS JEWISH survivors and descendants of survivors of the Nazi genocide, we unequivocally condemn the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza and the ongoing occupation and colonization of historic Palestine. We further condemn the United States for providing Israel with the funding to carry out the attack, and Western states more generally for using their diplomatic muscle to protect Israel from condemnation. Genocide begins with the silence of the world
We are alarmed by the extreme, racist dehumanization of Palestinians in Israeli society, which has reached a fever pitch. In Israel, politicians and pundits in The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post have called openly for genocide of Palestinians, and right-wing Israelis are adopting Neo-Nazi insignia
Furthermore, we are disgusted and outraged by Elie Wiesel's abuse of our history in these pages to promote blatant falsehoods used to justify the unjustifiable: Israel's wholesale effort to destroy Gaza and the murder of nearly 2,000 Palestinians, including many hundreds of children. Nothing can justify bombing UN shelters, homes, hospitals and universities. Nothing can justify depriving people of electricity and water
We must raise our collective voices and use our collective power to bring about an end to all forms of racism, including the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people. We call for an immediate end to the siege against and blockade of Gaza. We call for the full economic, cultural and academic boycott of Israel. "Never again" must mean NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE!
Signatories
SURVIVORS
Hajo Meyer, survivor of Auschwitz, The Netherlands
Henri Wajnblum, survivor and son of victim of Nazi genocide, Belgium
Renate Bridenthal, child refugee from Hitler, granddaughter of Auschwitz victim, United States
Marianka Ehrlich Ross, survivor of Nazi ethnic cleansing in Vienna, Austria. Now lives in United States
Annette Herskovits, survived in hiding in France and daughter of parents who were murdered in Auschwitz, United States
Irena Klepfisz, child survivor from the Warsaw Ghetto, Poland. Now lives in United States
Karen Pomer, granddaughter of member of Dutch resistance and survivor of Bergen Belsen. Now lives in the United States
Hedy Epstein, her parents and other family members were deported to Camp de Gurs, and subsequently all perished in Auschwitz. Now lives in United States
Lillian Rosengarten, survivor of the Nazi Holocaust, United States
Suzanne Weiss, survived in hiding in France, and daughter of a mother who was murdered in Auschwitz. Now lives in Canada
H. Richard Leuchtag, survivor, United States
Ervin Somogyi, survivor and daughter of survivors, United States
Ilse Hadda, survivor on Kindertransport to England. Now lives in United States
Jacques Glaser, survivor, France
Norbert Hirschhorn, refugee of Nazi genocide and grandson of three grandparents who died in the Shoah, London
Eva Naylor, survivor, New Zealand
Suzanne Ross, child refugee from Nazi occupation in Belgium, two-thirds of family perished in the Lodz Ghetto, in Auschwitz, and other camps, United States
Bernard Swierszcz, Polish survivor, lost relatives in Majdanek concentration camp. Now lives in the United States
Joseph Klinkov, hidden child in Poland, still lives in Poland
Nicole Milner, survivor from Belgium. Now lives in United States
Hedi Saraf, child survivor and daughter of survivor of Dachau, United States
Barbara Roose, survivor from Germany, half-sister killed in Auschwitz, United States
Sonia Herzbrun, survivor of Nazi genocide, France
Ivan Huber, survivor with my parents, but three of four grandparents murdered, United States
Altman Janina, survivor of Janowski concentration camp, Lvov. Lives in Israel
Leibu Strul Zalman, survivor from Vaslui Romania. Lives in Jerusalem, Palestine
Miriam Almeleh, survivor, United States
George Bartenieff, child survivor from Germany and son of survivors, United States
Margarete Liebstaedter, survivor, hidden by Christian people in Holland. Lives in Belgium
Edith Bell, survivor of Westerbork, Theresienstadt, Auschwitz and Kurzbach. Lives in United States
Janine Euvrard, survivor, France
Harry Halbreich, survivor, German
CHILDREN OF SURVIVORS
Liliana Kaczerginski, daughter of Vilna ghetto resistance fighter and granddaughter of murdered in Ponary woods, Lithuania. Now lives in France
Jean-Claude Meyer, son of Marcel, shot as a hostage by the Nazis, whose sister and parents died in Auschwitz. Now lives in France
Chava Finkler, daughter of survivor of Starachovice labor camp, Poland. Now lives in Canada
Micah Bazant, child of a survivor of the Nazi genocide, United States
Sylvia Schwartz, daughter and granddaughter of survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States
Margot Goldstein, daughter and granddaughter of survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States
Ellen Schwarz Wasfi, daughter of survivors from Vienna, Austria. Now lives in United States
Lisa Kosowski, daughter of survivor and granddaughter of Auschwitz victims, United States
Daniel Strum, son of a refugee from Vienna, who, with his parents were forced to flee in 1939, his maternal grand-parents were lost, United States
Bruce Ballin, son of survivors, some relatives of parents died in camps, one relative beheaded for being in the Baum Resistance Group, United States
Rachel Duell, daughter of survivors from Germany and Poland, United States
Tom Mayer, son of survivor and grandson of victims, United States
Alex Nissen, daughter of survivors who escaped but lost family in the Holocaust, United States
Mark Aleshnick, son of survivor who lost most of her family in Nazi genocide, United States
Prof. Haim Bresheeth, son of two survivors of Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen, London
Todd Michael Edelman, son and grandson of survivors and great-grandson of victims of the Nazi genocide in Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, United States
Tim Naylor, son of survivor, New Zealand. Victor Nepomnyashchy, son and grandson of survivors and grandson and relative of many victims, United States
Tanya Ury, daughter of parents who fled Nazi Germany, granddaughter, great granddaugher and niece of survivors and those who died in concentration camps, Germany
Rachel Giora, daughter of Polish Jews who fled Poland, Israel
Jane Hirschmann, daughter of survivors, United States
Jenny Heinz, daughter of survivor, United States
Jaap Hamburger, son of survivors and grandchild of four grandparents murdered in Auschwitz, The Netherlands
Elsa Auerbach, daughter of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, United States
Beth Bruch, grandchild of German Jews who fled to U.S. and great-grandchild of Nazi Holocaust survivor, United States
Julian Clegg, son and grandson of Austrian refugees, relative of Austrian and Hungarian concentration camp victims, Taiwan
David Mizner, son of a survivor, relative of people who died in the Holocaust, United States
Jeffrey J. Westcott, son and grandson of Holocaust survivors from Germany, United States
Susan K. Jacoby, daughter of parents who were refugees from Nazi Germany, granddaughter of survivor of Buchenwald, United States
Audrey Bomse, daughter of a survivor of Nazi ethnic cleansing in Vienna, lives in United States
Daniel Gottschalk, son and grandson of refugees from the Holocaust, relative to various family members who died in the Holocaust, United States
Ken Schneider, son of refugees from Vienna who lost many family members, United States
Barbara Grossman, daughter of survivors, granddaughter of Holocaust victims, United States
Abraham Weizfeld, PhD, son of survivors who escaped Warsaw (Jewish Bundist) and Lublin ghettos, Canada
David Rohrlich, son of refugees from Vienna, grandson of victim, United States
Walter Ballin, son of Holocaust survivors, United States
Fritzi Ross, daughter of survivor, granddaughter of Dachau survivor Hugo Rosenbaum, great-granddaughter and great-niece of victims, United States
Reuben Roth, son of survivors who fled from Poland in 1939, Canada
Tony Iltis, father fled from Czechoslovakia and grandmother murdered in Auschwitz, Australia
Anne Hudes, daughter and granddaughter of survivors from Vienna, Austria, great-granddaughter of victims who perished in Auschwitz, United States
Mateo Nube, son of survivor from Berlin, Germany. Lives in United States
John Mifsud, son of survivors from Malta, United States
Mike Okrent, son of two Holocaust/concentration camp survivors, United States
Susan Bailey, daughter of survivor and niece of victims, UK
Brenda Lewis, child of Kindertransport survivor, parent's family died in Auschwitz and Terezin. Lives in Canada
Patricia Rincon-Mautner, daughter of survivor and granddaughter of survivor, Colombia
Barak Michèle, daughter and granddaughter of a survivor, many members of family were killed in Auschwitz or Bessarabia. Lives in Germany
Jessica Blatt, daughter of child refugee survivor, both grandparents' entire families killed in Poland. Lives in United States
Maia Ettinger, daughter and granddaughter of survivors, United States
Ammiel Alcalay, child of survivors from then Yugoslavia. Lives in United States
Julie Deborah Kosowski, daughter of hidden child survivor, grandparents did not return from Auschwitz, United States
Julia Shpirt, daughter of survivor, United States
Ruben Rosenberg Colorni, grandson and son of survivors, The Netherlands
Victor Ginsburgh, son of survivors, Belgium
Arianne Sved, daughter of a survivor and granddaughter of victim, Spain
Rolf Verleger, son of survivors, father survived Auschwitz, mother survived deportation from Berlin to Estonia, other family did not survive. Lives in Germany
Euvrard Janine, daughter of survivors, France
H. Fleishon, daughter of survivors, United States
Barbara Meyer, daughter of survivor in Polish concentration camps. Lives in Italy
Susan Heuman, child of survivors and granddaughter of two grandparents murdered in a forest in Minsk. Lives in United States
Rami Heled, son of survivors, all grandparents and family killed by the Germans in Treblinka, Oswiecim and Russia. Lives in Israel
Eitan Altman, son of survivor, France
Jorge Sved, son of survivor and grandson of victim, United Kingdom
Maria Kruczkowska, daughter of Lea Horowicz who survived the Holocaust in Poland. Lives in Poland
Sarah Lanzman, daughter of survivor of Auschwitz, United States
Cheryl W, daughter, granddaughter and nieces of survivors, grandfather was a member of the Dutch Underground (Eindhoven). Lives in Australia
Chris Holmquist, son of survivor, UK
Beverly Stuart, daughter and granddaughter of survivors from Romania and Poland. Lives in United States
Peter Truskier, son and grandson of survivors, United States
Karen Bermann, daughter of a child refugee from Vienna. Lives in United States
Rebecca Weston, daughter and granddaughter of survivor, Spain
Lyn Bender, daughter, granddaughter and niece of survivors, Australia
GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN OF SURVIVORS
Raphael Cohen, grandson of Jewish survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States
Emma Rubin, granddaughter of a survivor of the Nazi genocide, United States
Alex Safron, grandson of a survivor of the Nazi genocide, United States
Danielle Feris, grandchild of a Polish grandmother whose whole family died in the Nazi Holocaust, United States
Jesse Strauss, grandson of Polish survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States
Anna Baltzer, granddaughter of survivors of Nazi genocide whose family members perished in Auschwitz (also grandniece of members of the Belgian Resistance), United States
Abigail Harms, granddaughter of Holocaust survivor from Austria, Now lives in United States
Tessa Strauss, granddaughter of Polish Jewish survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States
Caroline Picker, granddaughter of survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States
Amalle Dublon, grandchild and great-grandchild of survivors of the Nazi holocaust, United States
Antonie Kaufmann Churg, third cousin of Anne Frank and granddaughter of survivors, United States
Aliza Shvarts, granddaughter of survivors, United States
Linda Mamoun, granddaughter of survivors, United States
Abby Okrent, granddaughter of survivors of Auschwitz, Stuthoff and the Lodz Ghetto, United States
Ted Auerbach, grandson of survivor whose whole family died in the Holocaust, United States
Bob Wilson, grandson of a survivor, United States
Katharine Wallerstein, granddaughter of survivors and relative of many who perished, United States
Sylvia Finzi, granddaughter and niece of Holocaust victims murdered in Auschwitz, London and Berlin
Esteban Schmelz, grandson of KZ-Theresienstadt victim, Mexico City
Françoise Basch, granddaughter of Victor and Ilona Basch murdered by the Gestapo and the French Milice, France
Gabriel Alkon, grandson of Holocaust survivors, Untied States
Nirit Ben-Ari, grandchild of Polish grandparents from both sides whose entire family was killed in the Nazi Holocaust, United States
Heike Schotten, granddaughter of refugees from Nazi Germany who escaped the genocide, United States
Ike af Carlstèn, grandson of survivor, Norway
Elias Lazarus, grandson of Holocaust refugees from Dresden, United States and Australia
Laura Mandelberg, granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, United States
Josh Ruebner, grandson of Nazi Holocaust survivors, United States
Shirley Feldman, granddaughter of survivors, United States
Nuno Cesar Ferreira, grandson of survivor, Brazil
Andrea Land, granddaughter of survivors who fled programs in Poland, all European relatives died in German and Polish concentration camps, United States
Sarah Goldman, granddaughter of survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States
Baruch Wolski, grandson of survivors, Austria
Frank Amahran, grandson of survivor, United States
Eve Spangler, granddaughter of Holocaust non-survivor, United States
Gil Medovoy, grandchild of Fela Hornstein who lost her entire family in Poland during the Nazi genocide, United States
Michael Hoffman, grandson of survivors, rest of family killed in Poland during Holocaust, live in El Salvador
Sarah Hogarth, granddaughter of a survivor whose entire family was killed at Auschwitz, United States
Natalie Rothman, great granddaughter of Holocaust victims in Warsaw. Now lives in Canada
Yotam Amit, great-grandson of Polish Jew who fled Poland, United States
Daniel Boyarin, great grandson of victims of the Nazi genocide, United States
Maria Luban, great-granddaughter of survivors of the Holocaust, United States
Tibby Brooks, granddaughter, niece and cousin of victims of Nazis in Ukraine. Lives in United States
Dan Berger, grandson of survivor, United States
Dani Baurer, granddaughter of Baruch Pollack, survivor of Auschwitz. Lives in United States
Talia Baurer, granddaughter of a survivor, United States
Evan Cofsky, grandson of survivor, UK
Annie Sicherman, granddaughter of survivors, United States
Anna Heyman, granddaughter of survivors, UK
Maya Ober, granddaughter of survivor and relative of deceased in Teresienstadt and Auschwitz, Tel Aviv
Anne Haan, granddaughter of Joseph Slagter, survivor of Auschwitz. Lives in The Netherlands
Oliver Ginsberg, grandson of victim, Germany
Alexia Zdral, granddaughter of Polish survivors, United States
Mitchel Bollag, grandson of Stanislaus Eisner, who was living in Czechoslovakia before being sent to a concentration camp. United States
Vivienne Porzsolt, granddaughter of victims of Nazi genocide, Australia
Lisa Nessan, granddaughter of survivors, United States
Kally Alexandrou, granddaughter of survivors, Australia
Laura Ostrow, granddaughter of survivors, United States
Anette Jacobson, granddaughter of relatives killed, town of Kamen Kashirsk, Poland. Lives in United States
Tamar Yaron (Teresa Werner), granddaughter and niece of victims of the Nazi genocide in Poland, Israel
Antonio Roman-Alcalá, grandson of survivor, United States
Jeremy Luban, grandson of survivor, United States
Heather West, granddaughter of survivors and relative of other victims, United States
Jeff Ethan Au Green, grandson of survivor who escaped from a Nazi work camp and hid in the Polish-Ukranian forest, United States
Johanna Haan, daughter and granddaughter of victims in the Netherlands. Lives in the Netherlands
Aron Ben Miriam, son of and nephew of survivors from Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Salzwedel, Lodz ghetto. Lives in United States
Noa Shaindlinger, granddaughter of four holocaust survivors, Canada
Merilyn Moos, granddaughter, cousin and niece murdered victims, UK
Ruth Tenne, granddaughter and relative of those who perished in Warsaw Ghetto, London
Craig Berman, grandson of Holocaust survivors, UK
Nell Hirschmann-Levy, granddaughter of survivors from Germany. Lives in United States
Osha Neumann, grandson of Gertrud Neumann who died in Theresienstadt. Lives in United States
Georg Frankl, Grandson of survivor Ernst-Immo Frankl who survived German work camp. Lives in Germany
Julian Drix, grandson of two survivors from Poland, including survivor and escapee from liquidated Janowska concentration camp in Lwów, Poland. Lives in United States
Katrina Mayer, grandson and relative of victims, UK
Avigail Abarbanel, granddaughter of survivors, Scotland
Denni Turp, granddaughter of Michael Prooth, survivor, UK
Yakira Teitel, granddaughter of German Jewish refugees, great-granddaughter of survivor, United States
Sarah, granddaughter of survivor, the Netherlands
Susan Koppelman, granddaughter of survivor, United States
Hana Umeda, granddaughter of survivor, Warsaw
Jordan Silverstein, grandson of two survivors, Canada
Olivia Kraus, great-grandaughter of victims, granddaughter and daughter of family that fled Austria and Czechoslovakia. Lives in United States
Emily (Chisefsky) Alma, great granddaughter and great grandniece of victims in Bialystok, Poland, United States
Inbal Amin, great-granddaughter of a mother and son that escaped and related to plenty that didn't, United States
Matteo Luban, great-granddaughter of survivors, United States
ADDITIONAL RELATIVES OF SURVIVORS
Terri Ginsberg, niece of a survivor of the Nazi genocide, United States
Nathan Pollack, relative of Holocaust survivors and victims, United States
Marcy Winograd, relative of victims, United States
Rabbi Borukh Goldberg, relative of many victims, United States
Martin Davidson, great-nephew of victims who lived in the Netherlands, Spain
Miriam Pickens, relative of survivors, United States
Dorothy Werner, spouse of survivor, United States
Hyman and Hazel Rochman, relatives of Holocaust victims, United States
Rich Siegel, cousin of victims who were rounded up and shot in town square of Czestochowa, Poland. Now lives in United States
Ignacio Israel Cruz-Lara, relative of survivor, Mexico
Debra Stuckgold, relative of survivors, United States
Joel Kovel, relatives killed at Babi Yar, United States
Carol Krauthamer Smith, niece of survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States
Chandra Ahuva Hauptman, relatives from grandfather's family died in Lodz ghetto, one survivor cousin and many deceased from Auschwitz, United States
Shelly Weiss, relative of Holocaust victims, United States
Carol Sanders, niece and cousin of victims of Holocaust in Poland, United States
Sandra Rosen, great-niece and cousin of survivors, United States
Raquel Hiller, relative of victims in Poland. Now lives in Mexico
Alex Kantrowitz, most of father's family murdered Nesvizh, Belarus 1941. Lives in United States
Michael Steven Smith, many relatives were killed in Hungary. Lives in United States
Linda Moore, relative of survivors and victims, United States
Juliet VanEenwyk, niece and cousin of Hungarian survivors, United States
Anya Achtenberg, grand niece, niece, cousin of victims tortured and murdered in Ukraine. Lives in United States
Betsy Wolf-Graves, great niece of uncle who shot himself as he was about to be arrested by Nazis, United States
Abecassis Pierre, grand-uncle died in concentration camp, France
Robert Rosenthal, great-nephew and cousin of survivors from Poland. Lives in United States
Régine Bohar, relative of victims sent to Auschwitz, Canada
Denise Rickles, relative of survivors and victims in Poland. Lives in United States
Louis Hirsch, relative of victims, United States
Concepción Marcos, relative of victim, Spain
George Sved, relative of victim, Spain
Judith Berlowitz, relative of victims and survivors, United States
Rebecca Sturgeon, descendant of Holocaust survivor from Amsterdam. Lives in UK
Justin Levy, relative of victims and survivors, Ireland
Sam Semoff, relative of survivors and victims, UK
Karen Malpede, Spouse of hidden child who then fled Germany. United States
Michel Euvrard, husband of Holocaust survivor, France
