August 12, 2014

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."

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.

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!

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

What you can do If you are a survivor of the Nazi genocide or a descendent of survivors and would like to add your name to this statement, click here and scroll to the bottom of the document to fill in your name and information. If you would like to help get this letter into the New York Times as an advertisement, click here to make a donation.

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