Nine individuals who survived the horrors of the Holocaust have issued a powerful demand for truth to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. They have written a direct letter questioning him over allegations that he told schoolmates "Hitler was right" and mimicked gas chambers during his time at Dulwich College.
A Direct Challenge from History's Witnesses
The group, which includes survivors who lost dozens of family members and endured ghettos and camps, published their letter in The Guardian. It represents a profound intervention in the ongoing controversy surrounding Farage's schooldays. Among the signatories are Hedi Argent, who lost 27 relatives in Nazi death camps, and Simon Winston, who witnessed unspeakable horrors in the Radzivilov ghetto.
Their letter comes after 20 former schoolboys and teachers from Dulwich College came forward with accounts of racist and antisemitic remarks allegedly made by the future politician. The survivors explicitly reject Farage's characterisation of such behaviour as mere "banter in a playground."
The Unambiguous Questions and the Call for Accountability
The letter poses two stark, direct questions to the Reform UK leader: "Did you say 'Hitler was right' and 'gas them,' mimicking gas chambers? Did you subject your classmates to antisemitic abuse?"
It then presents Farage with a clear choice, framing the issue as one of fundamental moral responsibility. "If you deny saying those words, are you saying that 20 former classmates and teachers are lying? If you did say them, now is the time to acknowledge you were wrong, and apologise," the survivors state.
They emphasise that "praising Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or hurling racist abuse is not banter" and warn that antisemitic hatred must never be normalised, especially for those who aspire to lead the country.
Farage's Response and the Escalating Controversy
Nigel Farage has faced sustained questioning since the allegations surfaced. His initial defence has been inconsistent. Reform's deputy leader, Richard Tice, dismissed the claims as "made up twaddle," while Farage himself later referred to them as "alleged" remarks during a tense press conference.
In that conference, held on Thursday, Farage read a letter from a former schoolfellow which stated that while there was "plenty of macho tongue in cheek schoolboy banter" and humour that "was offensive," it was "never with malice." The letter also claimed Farage was never reported for racial abuse.
When pressed on whether he would apologise for any offence caused, Farage admitted he says offensive things every day, including on the day of the conference. "If I genuinely thought I’d hurt somebody I would apologise of course. I’ve never, ever, in my nature, been a bully of any kind at all," he stated.
Among his most prominent accusers is former classmate Peter Ettedgui, who is Jewish. Ettedgui has claimed that Farage "repeatedly" approached him at school to say "Hitler was right."
The survivors' letter, signed by nine individuals including Janine Webber, Edith Jayne, and Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, leaves the matter firmly at Farage's door: "The choice is yours, Mr Farage." The confrontation places a profound historical and ethical weight on the political controversy, challenging him to address the accounts of those who witnessed the ultimate consequences of the hatred invoked in the allegations.
