This year we mark 75 years to the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen Belsen death camps by Soviet and British forces. What has been done to Jews and others by the Nazis remains an undeniable tragedy, unique in human history.
Many British people, both Jewish and non-Jewish, feel a personal connection to the tragedy of the Shoah. Princess Alice, the grandmother of Prince Charles who represents the UK at the Yad Vashem ceremony, is honored as a Righteous Among the Gentiles for sheltering a Jewish family. My grandfather commanded one of the first British Army units to reach Bergen Belzen.
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Yet we still need to address anti-Semitism, revealing its ugly head around the world. We still need to reiterate how important it is to support and secure Jewish communities from violence and hate crimes. The British government will keep providing the funds needed to ensure the security of Jewish faith schools, synagogues, and communal buildings. The UK is committed to ensuring we never forget one of the darkest chapters in human history.
As Prince Charles and many British leaders have said, our Jewish community is an essential part of the British nation that we need. I am sure many Ambassadors and senior leaders from around the world share this sentiment, and understand the urgency to clarify – never again. Not on our land, not in our communities, not on our watch.
Holocaust learning and education is absolutely fundamental if we are to wish to abolish antisemitism. The British Government will continue to invest in initiatives to drive understanding and tolerance through education. The UK is committed to ensuring we never forget one of the darkest chapters in human history.
A new Holocaust Memorial and Learning Center planned to be built next to the British Parliament, will provide a permanent reminder to political leaders and policymakers of the continued need for vigilance in challenging bigotry, division, and hatred wherever and whenever it may occur.
