Senior government ministers were visibly moved to tears during an unprecedented Cabinet meeting address by Holocaust survivor Mala Tribich, marking Holocaust Memorial Day with what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as an "incredible" historic occasion.
Emotional Cabinet Gathering
The 95-year-old survivor, who received an MBE in 2012 for services to education, became the first Holocaust survivor ever to address a British Cabinet meeting. Ministers were observed lowering their heads and wiping away tears as Mrs Tribich shared her harrowing personal story during the five-minute speech, which concluded with a standing ovation from all present.
"Shaken to the Core" by Recent Attacks
Mrs Tribich told assembled ministers that she and fellow survivors had been profoundly affected by recent terror attacks targeting Jewish communities. "What we have seen in Manchester, and Sydney on Hanukkah, has shaken us to the core," she stated, expressing disbelief that "81 years after the Holocaust, can these people once again be targeted in this way?"
The survivor, who represents the British Holocaust survivor community, made an impassioned plea to political leaders: "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."
From Bergen-Belsen to Downing Street
Mrs Tribich recounted her own experiences as a teenager, having been deported to the notorious Bergen-Belsen death camp with her younger cousin when she was approximately 14 years old. She spent less than three months at the camp, largely incapacitated by typhus, before witnessing from her sickbed window as people ran toward what she would later learn were approaching British troops.
The Nazi camp in northern Germany, where tens of thousands perished including diarist Anne Frank, was liberated by British forces on April 15, 1945. Mrs Tribich emphasized her unique position as "one of the last remaining eyewitnesses to one of the darkest chapters in human history," noting that "soon there will be no eyewitnesses left."
Prime Minister's Response
Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded emotionally to the address, telling Mrs Tribich: "All of us, myself included, are humbled by your courage and inspired by your story." He emphasized that "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."
The Prime Minister thanked Mrs Tribich for her "powerful words" and committed that the Government would do "everything to tackle antisemitism wherever it reared its ugly head." He stressed the necessity of moving beyond passive remembrance to active measures against hatred.
Passing from Living Memory to History
Karen Pollock CBE, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, reflected on the significance of the occasion as the Holocaust transitions from living memory into historical record. "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," she stated.
Mrs Tribich concluded her address with a powerful call to action, asking ministers not merely to listen but to "become my witnesses" in preserving the truth of what occurred during what she described as "the darkest days in our shared memory." As Cabinet ministers applauded her departure from Number 10, the emotional impact of her testimony remained palpable throughout the government gathering.
