MPs in Holocaust debate
ALMOST 30 MPs from all political parties took part in a debate in the House of Commons on January 24 on the subject of Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD), noting the need to remember the attempted genocide of the Jewish people — and to counter growing antisemitism, both in the UK and globally.
The backbench debate was initiated by Ian Austin, Labour MP for Dudley, but involved speakers from all sides of the House.
Mr Austin described how, in March 1939, his own foster father had witnessed the Germans occupying the Czech town of Ostrowa in which he lived.
“Four days later he was put on a train to England by his mother and teenage sisters.
“He was the only member of his family able to leave, and it was the last time he would see them,” Mr Austin said.
Mr Austin paid tribute to the Holocaust Educational Trust “and the brilliant work its fantastic team do to teach young people about what can happen when racism becomes acceptable.”
Joan Ryan, Labour MP for Enfield North, spoke about how, “Remembrance and celebration are not enough...
“Here in the UK, on campuses and in Trade Unions, and even sadly, as we’ve heard, in the Labour party, pernicious comparisons have been made, have been drawn, between Israel and Nazi Germany.
“We must stand up with courage against antisemitism and racism, each and every day, wherever we find it.”
John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, described how, “We’ve talked previously in debates about Holocaust denial. Let me put another term on the record, because it’s the pertinent one in this country for some at the moment; and that is Holocaust revisionism.
“Those who want to twist and turn what happened for their own ends.”
Andrew Percy, Conservative MP for Brigg and Goole, told the Commons how he was abused after his conversion to Judaism: “I was called Israeli scum… one of the individuals started to say to me, ‘You should tell people before an election that you’re a Jew’,” he said
Stephen Crabb, Conservative MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, described how “this week many of us signed the book of commemoration downstairs, and remembering Holocaust Memorial Day on Sunday is about pledging to act, to call out and to label the acts that we come across on a daily basis for what they are.”