‘Never forget road to Holocaust began in a democracy'
The site is the planned location of the new UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper speaks to Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis at the 80th Anniversary National Yom HaShoah Commemoration (James Manning/PA)
Addressing attendees, the Home Secretary said: 'More than three quarters of a century on, we know antisemitism has remained stubbornly present in our own society, and the torrent of antisemitism that swept through countries, including here in the UK, following the October 7th barbaric terrorist attacks, was sickening and intolerable.
'And I want to say to Britain's Jewish communities, on behalf of the Government and of Members of Parliament from across all political parties, we will not stand for it, not now, not ever.
'Antisemitism has no place in our nation.'
Of the memorial, she said: 'It's so important too, that it's here in the shadow of Parliament, in the heart of our democracy, because we must never forget that the road to the Holocaust began in a democracy, and that memorial must be the constant reminder of what happens when our democratic values and traditions fail, and also to show us how democracies remember and learn from the past because to build a better future means, when never again means never again, we must continue to listen to the survivors' stories, which, with every passing year become so much more precious.'
Yvette Cooper met Bergen-Belsen survivor Susan Pollack (right) at the event on Wednesday (James Manning/PA)
It comes as the Prime Minister vowed to 'fight the poison of antisemitism' and 'protect' the Jewish community in an article for the Jewish Chronicle, published on Wednesday.
Sir Keir Starmer wrote: 'Together, we will fight the poison of antisemitism wherever it is found.
'We renew our demand that the 59 hostages still held by Hamas are freed and we must also see a return to the ceasefire.
'And here in Britain, just as I made it my mission to root out the stain of antisemitism from my political party, so I will do the same for the country.
'We will protect our Jewish community, including Jewish students on our university campuses.
'We will never accept people being abused, attacked, or threatened because of who they are or what they believe.
'And we will back the police wherever antisemitic hate crimes are committed – whether in person or online.'
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