We condemn emphatically the cruel and murderous attacks and abductions of innocent civilians by Hamas in Israel on 7 October. This has evoked shock and anger given the immense trauma that the Jewish people have suffered historically.

The response, like all wars, has the devastating consequence that innocent civilians (both in Israel and Gaza) are caught in the crossfire of the conflict. In the region, whole communities, are being torn apart and displaced in an ongoing and escalating humanitarian tragedy in scenes which are playing out in all the media across the world. 

The JHGC honours the memory of the victims of genocides in the 20th century and teaches about the consequences of prejudice and hate speech so as to prevent the recurrence of mass atrocities and genocide in all its forms. We note with deep concern the unprecedented surge in antisemitism around the world the likes of which has not been seen in the 21st century. We are equally concerned about the dangers of rising Islamophobia. History and our shared humanity teaches us that there is no place for hatred or discrimination of any kind and calls for our compassion for all victims. In the words of Auschwitz survivor William Schiff: “You kill yourself when you hate. It’s the worst disease in the world.”  

The significance of this moment and the need for our collective vigilance against hate speech, othering and dehumanisation should not be missed. Conscious of the dangers of indifference, apathy and silence, the Centre calls on all of us to be an active voice against instances of hate speech and related human rights violations in our own communities. Our failure in this regard risks generational trauma and damage beyond the physical boundaries of the conflict.

– JHGC Board of Trustees