Holocaust Survivors Urge Nigel Farage to Apologise Over Alleged Antisemitic Remarks.

A group of Holocaust survivors has insisted that Nigel Farage admit the facts and apologise for reported antisemitic comments he reportedly directed toward Jewish pupils during his time at school.

The Reform UK leader has previously stated he never targeted anyone with the aim to hurt, framing it may have been mere "playground banter".

"As Holocaust survivors, we understand the profound danger of hateful words – for we have witnessed where such words ultimately lead," wrote the survivors in a missive.

"Let us be clear: expressing admiration for Hitler, mimicking gas chambers, or shouting racist insults is not banter. Not in a playground. Not under any circumstances."

An Unequivocal Demand

The correspondence asks blunt questions to the political figure: "Is it true you said ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them,’ accompanied by mimicking gas chambers? Did you expose your classmates to bigoted harassment?"

The Survivors

The group of 11 survivors includes individuals with devastating personal stories from the Nazi genocide.

• Hedi Argent, who saw the murder of 27 members of her family.
• Simon Winston, who was held in a ghetto before escaping in 1942 and spending the rest of the war in hiding.
• Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz-Birkenau and later moved to Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated.

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

Increasing Allegations

This action follows the rejection of similar allegations by more than two dozen or more former pupils and teachers as "complete fiction" by a deputy leader.

After the story broke, further individuals from that era have spoken out. 28 ex-students and educators now claim they saw prejudiced actions by him.

One prominent testimony comes from Peter Ettedgui, a Jewish award-winning director, who recalls that a young Farage would approach him and say the phrases "Hitler was right" and "send them to the gas chambers", on occasion making a hiss to simulate the sound of poison gas.

Further Allegations

Other former pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds have additionally spoken publicly with allegations of personal harassment.

• Cyrus Oshidar stated he was referred to as a "Paki" and has dismissed the claim that such actions were not meant to hurt.
• Another student of Asian heritage characterised him as an "avowed bigot" who would use the phrase "Enoch Powell was right" as a form of "ethnic harassment".

The Survivors' Final Appeal

The final appeal puts forth an ultimate challenge to Farage: "Should you continue to deny saying those words, is your position that 20 former classmates and teachers are lying? If you did say them, now is the opportunity to take responsibility and say sorry."

"People who aspire to lead our country should under no circumstances sow discord by background or belief. Hatred of Jews must never become acceptable. This moment is about ethical duty. The choice is your own, Mr Farage."