Prince Charles warns Second World War's 'horrific lessons' are in danger of being forgotten
The
Prince of Wales remembered the 'indescribable persecution' endured by
Holocaust survivor and former Olympic weightlifting champion Ben
Helfgott
Maya Oppenheim
@mayaoppenheim
Prince Charles has
warned the lessons of the Second World War are in “increasing
danger” of being forgotten.
Speaking at a
fundraiser for the World Jewish Relief, the Prince of Wales
remembered the “indescribable persecution” endured by Holocaust
survivor and former Olympic weightlifting champion Ben Helfgott.
The Prince, who
recently issued a veiled warning over the election of Donald Trump,
said it was his grandmother’s sheltering of a Jewish family which
inspired his work with a range of faiths.
“The work of World
Jewish relief enables us to rally together to do what we can to
support people practically, emotionally and spiritually,” the
Royal, who is the newly appointed patron of the charity, told a crowd
of hundreds.
“Particularly at a
time when the horrific lessons of the last war seem to be in
increasing danger of being forgotten”.
The Royal suggested
Helfgott’s experience of persecution served as a reminder for not
overlooking history, saying: "To meet Ben, and others who, like
him, have endured indescribable persecution, is to be reminded of the
danger of forgetting the lessons of the past."
The Prince applauded
the work the charity, which was established to support those fleeing
Nazi-occupied Germany, did with impoverished Jews in Ukraine as well
as those escaping the atrocities of Syria and Rwanda.
“It is about
supporting local communities with what they feel they need and not
about imposing solutions from outside."
"World Jewish
Relief shows us how vital it is to learn lessons from the horrors of
the past," he later added.
Rafi Cooper, the
charity's Director of Communications, told The Independent: "His
Royal Highness provides a timely reminder that we need to reach
within and beyond our own community, regardless of faith - a message
that our Jewish values and history teach us is essential to avoid the
horrors of the past being repeated."
The Prince's
reference to "the horrific lessons of the last war" are
reported to have been viewed by some in the room as a “thinly-veiled
criticism” of Mr Trump. The President has prompted global
condemnation for his immigration ban in recent days. Last week, the
billionaire property developer signed an executive order suspending
the entire US refugee admissions system for 120 days, halting the
Syrian refugee programme indefinitely, and banning entry for people
from seven majority-Muslim countries.
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