My mother, a Holocaust survivor, died ashamed of Israel: Jewish UK activist

Jewish British activist Miranda Pinch has said her mother Claudia Rosoux, who survived the Holocaust in 1938 and came to the UK as a refugee, always felt shame and hatred for what Israel is doing to Palestinians.

"My mother died as a Jew, ashamed of what Israel did to the Palestinians," Pinch said on Friday at a march organised in London to protest Israel's attacks on Gaza.

Pinch, carrying a banner with a photo of her mother at the rally, spoke to Anadolu Agency about Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories, the treatment of anti-Israel Jews and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"Unfortunately, my mother is no longer alive, but she is turning in her grave in the face of what is being done to the Palestinians, who are completely dehumanised."

In addition to the current ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, Pinch said ethnic cleansing has been going on in the occupied West Bank since 1948 and that what is happening in Palestine did not start on October 7, 2023.

She also stated that comparing Judaism and Israel is anti-Semitic and that Judaism and Israel can never be equated.

"There are many Jews who have been mistreated, expelled from the Labour Party and elsewhere for daring to accuse Israel of being racist and genocidal," Pinch said.

Israeli actions not 'self-defence'

Pinch said the protesters are demanding equality, human rights, dignity, freedom of movement, and the equal application of international law to Palestinians.

"The Palestinians were treated as pawns in a game played by the West, America, and Britain. Britain helped create Israel and betrayed the Palestinians from the very beginning.

"You will find that there are many Jews who are horrified by what is being done to the Palestinians. I even have friends in Israel who are horrified by what is being done and even they cannot say openly how they feel right now,” she further said.

Pinch added that she also has friends in Gaza and continued:

"There are people who have lost a desire to live because they have nothing. Everything was taken away from them and Gaza was destroyed. Ecology, agricultural lands, education, infrastructure, everything has been destroyed."

Emphasising that Israel's attacks on Gaza can never be justified, Pinch said: "Don't tell me that any of these (Israel's attacks) are in self-defence. This is deliberate ethnic cleansing, destruction, and genocide."

“What I would say to the people of Gaza is that there are people who support you, there are people who are fighting for you, but unfortunately, I am really worried for you right now, but know that there are many people in the world who are horrified by what is happen ing to you," she said.