Today, the emotional atmosphere was palpable as ministers were moved to tears by the powerful words of a Holocaust survivor, who delivered a heartfelt plea against the rising tide of antisemitism.
At the age of 95, Mala Tribich addressed the Cabinet, expressing her disbelief at the resurgence of such prejudice. She urged the government to take decisive action, stating that they must “do what needs to be done” to combat this issue.
In a historic moment praised by Keir Starmer in honor of Holocaust Memorial Day, Mrs. Tribich recounted her profound distress over recent terror incidents in Manchester and Sydney, which she described as having shaken her to her core.
The senior politicians present were visibly moved, some bowing their heads and others wiping away tears, as they listened to Mrs. Tribich’s poignant testimony. Her speech, though brief, left a lasting impact and was met with a standing ovation.
Sir Keir Starmer, welcoming her to No. 10 Downing Street, acknowledged the significance of the occasion, saying, “You are the first Holocaust survivor ever to address the Cabinet in this country, and so it really is an incredible occasion.”
He added, “All of us, myself included, are humbled by your courage and inspired by your story.”
Mala Tribich, 95, told the Cabinet she never imagined antisemitism would return to these levels, insisting the government must ‘do what needs to be done’ to stop it
Senior politicians were visibly emotional as Mrs Tribich shared her story, lowering their heads and drying their eyes
‘It is our duty not just to hear and listen, but also to act and to absolutely deal with anybody who tries to deny or distort what happened in the Holocaust.’
Mrs Tribich told Cabinet: ‘I sit before you as one of the last remaining eyewitnesses to one of the darkest chapters in human history.
‘I’m here as a representative of the British Holocaust survivor community. For decades, we have spoken to people across the country, sharing our painful memories.
‘Soon there will be no eyewitnesses left.
‘That is why I ask you today not just to listen, but to become my witnesses.’
Mrs Tribich was deported to the Bergen-Belsen death camp with her younger cousin when she was around 14-years-old, spending less than three months there – largely incapacitated by typhus – before watching out the window from her sickbed as people ran towards what she would learn were British troops.
Tens of thousands of people, including diarist Anne Frank, died at the Nazi camp in northern Germany, which was liberated by the British on April 15 1945.
Mrs Tribich, who was made an MBE in 2012 for services to education, shares her testimony in schools and colleges across the UK.
‘We survivors never imagined we would witness antisemitism at the level it is today,’ she said.
‘What we have seen in Manchester, and Sydney on Hanukkah, has shaken us to the core.
‘How, 81 years after the Holocaust, can these people once again be targeted in this way?
‘Remembering the past is no longer enough.
‘I speak to you, leaders of this country I proudly call home, and I plead that you do what needs to be done.’
In what Keir Starmerhailed as an historic first to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, Mrs Tribich described being ‘shaken to the core’ by recent terror attacks in Manchester and Sydney
The Holocaust survivor received a standing ovation after her five-minute speech
The Prime Minister thanked Mrs Tribich for her ‘powerful words’, and said the Government would do ‘everything to tackle antisemitism wherever it reared its ugly head’.
He said the Government had to not just listen, but act.
Karen Pollock CBE, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: ‘Mala, and survivors like her, share their stories in the hope that the next generation will always know what happened during the darkest days in our shared memory, acting as a memorial to the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis.
‘As the Holocaust passes from living memory into history, today’s meeting with the Prime Minister and Cabinet is a poignant reminder of the responsibility to confront anti-Jewish hatred and ensure that the legacies of Holocaust survivors endure.’
