Latest news with #AnneFrank
Al Jazeera
13 hours ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Anne Frank's relative criticises Netanyahu as 'fanatical'
Quotable Anne Frank's relative criticises Netanyahu as 'fanatical' Oliver Elias, the great cousin of Anne Frank, calls on Jews, Germans and the international community to condemn Israel and its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, for its war on Gaza.
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
A coalition of conscience must rise to stop Israel's genocidal war on Gaza
During the darkest days of World War II, Anne Frank and her family hid in a secret attic in Amsterdam to escape the horrors of Nazi persecution. Her posthumously published diary offered the world a haunting glimpse into the fear and trauma endured by Jewish families at the time. Today, a tragically familiar story is unfolding in Palestine. This time, it is children like Anne Frank – tens of thousands of them – facing death by starvation and relentless bombardment by the Israeli government. They don't even have an attic to hide in; the buildings around them have been reduced to rubble by indiscriminate Israeli attacks. Eight decades after the Holocaust, another genocide is unfolding – this time with Palestinian children as both victims and witnesses of ethnic cleansing. Each of these children carries a harrowing story the world needs to hear. One day, we may read their accounts in memoirs – if they survive long enough to write them. But the international community must not wait that long. It must confront the suffering of these children now. That is why we gave children in Gaza a platform to ask the world a searing question: 'Why are you silent?' – through a documentary that has become one of Turkiye's most widely shared efforts to expose the brutal reality of Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza. Many Western states have forfeited their moral authority and hegemonic discourse by acting as accomplices – or enablers – of genocide. Even more tragically, some have sought to justify their positions by invoking a genocide they themselves perpetrated eight decades ago. Those who once stood on the wrong side of history – committing crimes against humanity – are now turning a blind eye to the near-total destruction of another people. Guilt over past atrocities cannot be absolved through complicity in new ones. Conscience cannot be cleansed by choosing fresh shame to cover old disgrace. If the words 'never again' are to carry any weight, they must apply not only to the victims of yesterday – but also to the victims of today. Within days of Israel launching its military assault on Gaza in October 2023, Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly condemned the operation as one amounting to genocide. In the months that followed, Turkiye took concrete steps to oppose the brutal Israeli campaign and halt the unfolding catastrophe in Gaza. The Turkish government and people have consistently stood against genocide. President Erdogan refused to remain a passive observer of history; instead, he chose to stand at the forefront of humanity's moral conscience. This has been Turkiye's position for many decades. During the Holocaust, Turkish diplomats such as Necdet Kent and Selahattin Ulkumen risked their lives to rescue Jews from Nazi deportations. Decades later, during the genocide in Bosnia, Turkiye again urged the international community to act. Over the past 20 years, wherever human suffering emerged – from war zones to disaster areas – Turkiye has acted to shield the vulnerable and uphold the rights of the oppressed in the face of humanitarian crises. Turkiye responded to Israel's indiscriminate attacks with decisive humanitarian and diplomatic action – despite considerable political and economic costs. It severed trade relations with Israel and led efforts at the United Nations to push for an international arms and trade embargo. Diplomatic ties have been cut, and Israeli officials are now banned from Turkish airspace, disrupting attempts to normalise genocide. While many governments hesitated or issued statements, Turkiye acted – delivering aid to children forced to drink contaminated water, to mothers seeking shelter among ruins, and to families mourning loved ones with no graves to bury them in. By joining the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Turkiye stood firmly for international law and justice – principles that many powerful nations invoke in theory but abandon when inconvenient. Western governments that once vowed 'never again' now tiptoe around genocide, paralysed by fear of offending Israel, even as children die beneath collapsing ceilings. This is not mere indifference. It is a betrayal of historic proportions. A key enabler of Western silence and complicity in the genocide in Gaza has been Israel's intense disinformation campaign. At the direction of President Erdogan, Turkiye's Directorate of Communications has worked to cut through this noise. The Directorate's Disinformation Combat Centre has, among other initiatives, launched the innovative The Lies of Israel platform, which counters false narratives in six languages. This was only the first step – clearing space for the truth to emerge and building pressure for meaningful change. More dangerously, Israel increasingly sees no need to disguise its actions behind misinformation. It exploits the insensitivity of large segments of the international community to the ongoing violence. By referring to Gazans as 'children of darkness', Israeli politicians attempt to legitimise the genocide against them. This effort to normalise inhumanity has been firmly rejected by both the directorate and the Turkish people. Turkiye is challenging not only the distortions of Israel's propaganda machine but also the deeper decay of global conscience. The directorate's work is an act of resistance – not just against lies, but against a world order where apathy has become the default response to atrocity. The sophisticated messaging strategy employed by the Directorate of Communications – blending traditional and digital media – has brought the reality of Israel's disproportionate use of force and the suffering of Palestinian civilians to the attention of the world. It reinforces President Erdogan's ongoing efforts to press Western governments and the broader public to live up to their own professed values. In coordination with Turkiye's diplomatic response, the directorate has ensured that social media and other online platforms – where most people now consume news – cannot be turned into accomplices to genocide. It has done so by producing a wide range of cultural materials, including books, films, exhibitions, and other public events. These gatherings are not merely intended to bear witness; they serve as a reminder of the moral responsibility that falls upon all of us. A prominent example of Turkiye placing truth in the service of justice was the compilation and dissemination of a book documenting evidence of Israel's crimes – an effort that has proven instrumental in supporting the case at the International Court of Justice. Turkiye holds the conviction that the era of outdated paradigms – those that prioritise the narrow interests of hegemonic powers – has come to an end. A new international order must be built on the foundation of upholding the rights and dignity of all people, especially the powerless. To this end, the Directorate of Communications has amplified the voices of Palestinian victims, particularly children, giving them a platform to speak truth in international forums and to express themselves through cultural initiatives such as the Bulletproof Dreams exhibition in Istanbul. Turkiye's consistent and early moral leadership on Gaza has kept the crisis on the global agenda and helped shape international awareness – creating the conditions in which Western leaders have begun to take hesitant steps away from their prolonged silence. After months of inaction, the United Kingdom, France and Canada have now called on Israel to 'stop its military operations in Gaza,' facilitate humanitarian aid into the strip, and pledged 'concrete actions', should Israel fail to comply. The UK has since suspended trade negotiations with Israel, imposed sanctions on violent settlers in the West Bank, and issued its strongest condemnation yet of Israel's 'morally unjustifiable' actions and 'monstrous' public threats to ethnically cleanse Gaza. This shift in tone from Western governments is welcome, albeit limited and long overdue. Rhetorical change must be followed by concrete action and a fundamental shift in policy – otherwise, it will remain hollow. The time for timid diplomacy has long passed. What is needed now is a coalition of conscience: nations bold enough to align their values with decisive action, and leaders prepared to trade comfort for courage. Justice will not arrive on its own; it must be delivered by those brave enough to lead. Should they fail, they must understand that millions of children – the very ones asking, 'Why are you silent?' – will continue to hold them accountable. Each day of delay in confronting Israel's genocidal government brings further crimes against Palestinians: more lives lost in Gaza, more homes torched in the West Bank. This failure not only deepens Palestinian suffering but also does a grave disservice to the Israeli people, many of whom yearn for a new and just leadership. The path forward has been clearly laid out by Turkiye. At this stage, merely withdrawing support for Israel is no longer enough. What is required is a coordinated, conscience-led initiative by allied nations to transform the growing momentum for Palestinian recognition into a genuine two-state reality based on the 1967 borders. This must include building a political framework that refuses to tolerate permanent injustice under the guise of neutrality. The starting point for this effort should be the rescue of the children. Let us act now – so that Palestinian children, like Anne Frank, do not have to die in silence to be remembered. Let them live – not to be sanctified, but to thrive. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
‘Anne Frank' roses at Tokyo girls' school sow desire for peace
Anne's roses executive committee members Rino Nakamura, left, and Haruka Minami pose with roses of the 'Souvenir d'Anne Frank' variety in glorious full bloom on a flower bed at Tokyo Jogakkan Middle School & High School, in the capital's Shibuya Ward, on April 26. (Eriko Noda) Roses named in honor of a young holocaust victim continue to be raised with great care at a girls' school in Tokyo a quarter-century after the bush first arrived as a gift. Officials of Tokyo Jogakkan Middle School & High School, in the capital's Shibuya Ward, began growing 'Souvenir d'Anne Frank' roses 25 years ago, hoping that tending the flowers would help students connect with history and grow a desire for peace in their hearts. The flowers, more commonly referred to as 'Anne's roses,' bloomed in full glory once again this spring. The Belgian horticulturist who developed this rose variety named it in memory of Anne Frank (1929-1945), the famed author of 'The Diary of a Young Girl,' who perished in a concentration camp during World War II. Roses of the Souvenir d'Anne Frank variety were donated to Japan through Anne's father, and are treasured as symbols of peace in the various places they are grown across the country. The radiant flowers are red as buds, but become orange and, later, light pink after they open. The roses came to the school in the spring of 2000, when Machiyo Kurokawa (1929-2011), a Tokyo Jogakkan alumna and researcher of Anne Frank, donated a bush of Anne's roses, which the school then planted on the grounds. Several students volunteered to form the 'Anne's roses executive committee' to tend the plant with care, water it three times a week, weed it and prune it. Grafting has since allowed the Anne Frank roses to multiply to more than 60 bushes. 'We couldn't have just allowed that one precious plant to wither,' recalled Takaaki Fukuhara, principal of the girls' school. School officials also organized peace education programs, which continue to this day, to help students learn about the historical background of the roses. These include tours to the Anne's Rose Church in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, and the Holocaust Education Center, Japan, in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, to learn about the Holocaust. In the meantime, the Anne's roses executive committee has grown to around 100 students from all six grades of Tokyo Jogakkan's junior high school and senior high school divisions. 'For students of that age, history can just seem like a story in a book,' said Nobuyo Ueda, a Tokyo Jogakkan teacher in charge of the group. 'I hope that tending to Anne's roses will help the students develop awareness of peace naturally, without being forced to do so.' Rino Nakamura, a third-year senior high school student who headed the executive committee last year, said she read 'The Diary of a Young Girl' when she was in elementary school. She said that her activities have led her to believe that it is essential to seek to share happiness with others instead of just seeking happiness for oneself. Nakamura added she has also come to think of peace as an issue that concerns her personally. Haruka Minami, another third-year senior high school student, said she has been on the committee since she was in her first year of junior high school. After tending the flowers alongside her friends for six years, this will be her last year at the school to see them bloom. Minami said she tells herself, as she tends the roses, that keeping the flowers that are symbols of peace will also help keep the desire for peace alive. She said she has felt relief and joy every time she sees the roses bloom each year.
Buzz Feed
18-05-2025
- General
- Buzz Feed
23 Common-Sense Things Adults Explained To Other Adults
I believe that everyone should be offered some grace since it's everyone's first time living, and we're all trying to figure life out. However, I also believe that common sense goes...a long way. Recently, BuzzFeed Community members shared the things they couldn't believe they had to explain to another adult, and some of these stories are so bewildering that all you can really do is laugh: "I was telling my sister, who was 35 at the time and thinks she's a genius, about how two friends of mine drove to Alaska. She asked, 'How does that work?' I told her that you cross the border into Canada and then drive the rest of the way to Alaska. She replied, 'Alaska is an island.' I informed her that Alaska is not an island and that she should never say she went to a better high school or college than me ever again." —hlane09 "Someone said to me, 'Anne Frank is a fictional character.'" "I walked in just in time to stop a coworker from cooking a can of corn in the microwave. An unopened can of corn." —odaydaniel "I had to explain to a grown human who went to college for nursing what a semicircle was. I had to literally tell her that it was half of a circle." "One time, my older sibling and I had to explain to my cousin's husband (who was 35 at the time) that thunder does not come from two clouds crashing into each other. My soul left my body." —oldpumpkin393 "I was explaining ovulation and fallopian tubes to my mother-in-law. She wanted to know why she didn't find eggs in her underpants every month." "I had a colleague once (a grown man, mind you) who didn't know that indoor cats use litter boxes. He genuinely thought the cats did their business all over the house." —katharinapape2111 "I've had a patient ask me if you could get the flu twice." "I was working in a bike store when an older lady came in to return a roll of reflective tape. She said it didn't work because when she took the tape into her dark closet, she couldn't see anything." —Anonymous "I once got into a very heated argument with a married 45-year-old man over the fact that urine comes out of a different hole than the vagina. He was literally yelling at me, a woman, insisting that 'everything comes out of the same hole!'" "My niece didn't know that pickles were made from cucumbers. She thought there was a pickle tree or pickle bush somewhere." —Anonymous "I was out with my husband and mother. My mom didn't seem to understand the difference between Mexico and New Mexico. She's traveled to Mexico before, yet she seemed stunned when she found out it's a different country. It was so weird." "I once had to explain to a library patron that we couldn't change the time of our solar eclipse viewing party to better accommodate her kid's naptime. I had to tell another person that we did NOT have an audiobook of Macbeth ready to read by the author, and that no other place did. After nearly 25 years of customer service, there's little I don't believe." —skiinggnat "My sister was visiting from a different province, so I thought it'd be nice to take her to a museum with my son. The museum has displays and galleries of dinosaurs and various animals of various ages. We were looking at some dinosaur displays when my sister said, 'Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for humans to live among these dinosaurs?' My son, who was five at the time, and I looked at each other in amazement! Even my son knew that humans and dinosaurs didn't co-exist. I tried explaining it to my sister, but she didn't believe me." "I had to explain to my grandmother that lamps do not 'leak electricity' when they don't have lightbulbs. Later, I found out that my mom and her sisters, my grandfather, and my grandmother's siblings have all tried explaining it to my grandma at one point or another. It clearly never stuck." —Anonymous "I had to explain to a 26-year-old college graduate who majored in geography that Kentucky is, indeed, a state." "I spent years as a server and had to explain to countless people that mayo is, in fact, dairy-free. About half of our guests who've said they were lactose intolerant would ask for no mayo because they thought it was dairy. I guess the assumption is that if it's white, it's dairy?" "My ex-spouse would turn down the radio whenever they were low on gas. I finally asked why. It turns out that they thought all of the car's systems were running on gas. They were 38." "Once, my brother-in-law said that coconut milk came from brown coconuts and coconut water came from green coconuts. My mom, a retired science teacher, explained to him that the color of the coconuts didn't matter, and that the milk came from the white skin on the inside of the coconut, and the water was just whatever was inside the coconut. My BIL kept saying she was wrong, so they bet on it and had me Google the answer. My mom won the bet and got a free dinner out of it." —Anonymous, 33, Florida "I had to explain to my friend that, no, 'salmonella' is not Spanish for 'salmon.'" "A passenger on a flight asked why we were delayed, despite the captain just explaining that the aircon was not working and that techs were repairing it. The passenger asked, 'How come we don't open the windows?' I stared at her for a long time, wondering if she was joking. Then, I stared longer, wondering if it was possible for her to ask such a question. I explained why opening the windows wasn't possible due to the cabin air pressure issue and the lack of oxygen as we go higher. She really believed we could open windows on an airplane and let air in. I was riddled with shock." —Claudia, 50 "I had to explain to a full adult how time zones worked, and that you didn't need a passport if you're flying somewhere within the same country. I brought out a globe and everything." Lastly: "Years ago, I made tamales and brought some to work to share. A coworker was eager to try them because they smelled so good. Later that day, she told me that, though the tamale was good, she had to take it apart because she 'couldn't eat the outer part.' She'd been trying to eat the tamales with the corn husk wrapping still on them." —greyhedgewitch *Sigh.* I need to go take a lap or something. What's something you couldn't believe you had to explain to an adult? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your story using the form below!
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
‘The European city with huge rooftop swing that I return to every year' – and reachable without having to fly
DAM GOOD 'The European city with huge rooftop swing that I return to every year' – and reachable without having to fly THIS week's destination we're shining a light on is Amsterdam, capital of The Netherlands. The Sun's Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski often visited the Dutch city, being an easy train from the UK. Advertisement 3 Amsterdam is an easy city to get to from the UK Credit: Alamy 3 Hope on a boat to explore some of the canalside pubs Credit: Alamy She says: MUST-SEE / DO Amsterdam is famed for its beautiful canals so a boat tour is undoubtedly the best way to see the city. One-hour cruises with I Amsterdam cost from €16 (£13.47) per adult and €8 (£6.74) per child. There are 14 departure points to pick from. If you're brave enough, drive your own boat - you can pick one up for €16.50pp (£13.90pp) for three hours on a six-seater vessel from Advertisement They are really easy to steer and, with more time on board, you can hop on and off as you please to take advantage of the many canalside pubs. HIDDEN GEM The artsy, bohemian neighbourhood of De Pijp is much loved by locals and not very well known among tourists, but it is heaving with quirky cafes, artisan shops and tall buildings where colourful flower pots light up the brick balconies. BEST VIEW The 100-metre-tall A'DAM Lookout may offer the best views of the city from above, with a 360-degree sky deck and giant rooftop swing, but do expect queues because it's a popular tourist spot. For something a little quieter that will make for an excellent photo background, head to one of the smaller canal bridges, a little farther out of the city centre. Advertisement There are a few pretty bridges behind the Tulip Museum - such as Hilletjesbrug, where you can pose for pictures in front of flower-covered railings with a tree-lined canal and bobbing boats as your backdrop. RATED RESTAURANT Cafe de Parel was once a traditional Dutch "brown bar" but now it's an in-demand restaurant with affordable tasting menus (three courses for €52 (£43.79)). Zaandam: The Lego-Like Wonderland of The Netherlands These change regularly but you can expect to tuck in to sophisticated sharing dishes such as calamari with egg yolk and dashi, or pointed cabbage with brown butter and chamomile jus. BEST BAR Vesper, a teeny bar close to Centraal Station, serves mean cocktails, created by award-winning mixologists. Advertisement For a proper pint, Bar Brother, close to the Chassebuurt district, has a welcoming atmosphere and serves its ales alongside typically British bar snacks such as Scotch eggs and arancini. HOTEL PICK CitizenM Amstel Amsterdam Hotel is well located, around a 30-minute walk from the main train station and with modern, affordable rooms from €100 (£84.22) per night. For something a little fancier, The Pulitzer hotel is set within 25 restored 17th and 18th-century houses along the canal in the Jordaan district, close to the Anne Frank museum. It's also home to a top-notch restaurant and bar. Rooms cost from €295 (£248.44) per night. Advertisement
