Holocaust Survivors Call On Nigel Farage to Say Sorry Over Reported Antisemitic Statements.

A collective of Holocaust survivors has called for that Nigel Farage tell the truth and issue an apology for alleged antisemitic taunts he is said to have made toward Jewish pupils during his school days.

The political party leader has said he never insulted anyone with the aim to hurt, proposing it may have been mere "childish teasing".

"Being Holocaust survivors, we grasp the profound danger of words of hatred – for we have experienced firsthand where such words ultimately lead," stated the survivors in a letter.

"It is crucial to understand: praising Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or shouting racist insults is not banter. Not among children. Not ever."

An Unequivocal Demand

The correspondence puts forth straightforward questions to the public figure: "Are the claims accurate that you stated ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them,’ while mimicking gas chambers? Did you expose your classmates to bigoted harassment?"

Those Who Signed

The collective of 11 survivors includes individuals with harrowing personal histories from the Holocaust.

• Hedi Argent, who saw the murder of 27 members of her family.
• Simon Winston, who was imprisoned in a ghetto before fleeing in 1942 and living through the rest of the war concealed.
• Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau and later transferred to Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated.

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

Increasing Allegations

This action follows the dismissal of related testimony by more than several dozen alumni and teachers as "fabricated nonsense" by a deputy leader.

Following the publication, additional former pupils have come forward. 28 former pupils and teachers now assert they observed bigoted conduct by him.

One notable account comes from Peter Ettedgui, a Jewish award-winning director, who said that a teenage Farage would approach him and say the phrases "Hitler had the correct idea" and "gas them", on occasion adding a prolonged hissing sound to simulate the sound of poison gas.

Further Allegations

Other former pupils from ethnic minorities have also shared experiences with accounts of direct abuse.

• Cyrus Oshidar stated he was called a "racial slur" and has dismissed the claim that such actions were devoid of malice.
• Another pupil of Asian descent described him as an "avowed bigot" who would use the phrase "Enoch Powell was right" as a form of "ethnic harassment".

A Concluding Demand

The final appeal puts forth an ultimate dilemma to Farage: "By denying saying those words, do you mean that 20 former classmates and teachers are lying? If you did say them, now is the moment to acknowledge you were wrong and say sorry."

"Individuals who aspire to lead our country should under no circumstances create division by race or religion. Anti-Jewish bigotry must always be confronted. This moment is about moral responsibility. The decision is yours, Mr Farage."