Holocaust Remembrance Day: Lest we forget – Or have we already?

On Tuesday, International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed around the world. In Israel – which marks Holocaust memorial day according to the Hebrew calendar in April – the siren will sound and everything will stop. Traffic will halt, people will step out of their cars, and for two minutes the entire nation will stand in silence to remember those who were butchered and massacred in the worst genocide in Jewish history.

Last year, I began a personal tradition of marking Holocaust Remembrance Day by watching a film about the Holocaust. This year, I watched Schindler’s List — a powerful and harrowing film that reveals the true horror of what happened, as well as the courage of one man who chose to act. Oskar Schindler truly was a hero.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of interviewing many Holocaust survivors. I have listened to their painful stories — how they survived, how they escaped, and how some attempted to reach British Mandate Palestine. I helped record their testimonies for future generations, knowing that one day they will no longer be with us. I also know that there are people who deny the Holocaust ever happened, which makes preserving these stories even more vital.

Yet today, it is deeply troubling that in my home country, the UK, many Holocaust Memorial Day events will not take place. All Israel News recently reported that Holocaust Memorial Day events in the UK have dropped by nearly 60%, raising alarm over a growing silence.

These events give us an opportunity to reflect on the horrors of the past and to say, “May it never happen again.” Lest we forget.

Around the world, people will still gather. They will remember, reflect, pray, and say the words “Lest we forget.” Yet I fear that for many, these have become empty platitudes — said once a year, allowing people to feel good about themselves, while the world has in fact forgotten. We meet, we remember — and yet hatred and antisemitism continue to grow. Does anything truly change? Have we really learned the lesson?

It was the systematic denigration of the Jews — the blaming of the Jews — that hardened the German heart to commit such unspeakable evil. And today, we are seeing this pattern repeated. Israel is falsely accused of genocide. Lies are spread that Israel is starving Gaza. Hatred toward Jews is once again being fueled for political agendas.

We see pro-Palestinian demonstrations chanting “From the river to the sea” (many without even understanding which river or which sea). These same voices loudly accuse Israel of genocide, yet remain silent when a real genocide is unfolding in Iran.

We have heard chants of “Death to the IDF” — a vile and despicable call. We have seen terror strike in Washington, D.C., on Bondi Beach in Australia, and in Manchester. Politicians have rewarded Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organization, with recognition and legitimacy. My own country is guilty of this, and I am ashamed.

We see replacement theology creeping into churches — denying God’s promises to the Jewish people, claiming they now belong to the Church. Yet the Bible clearly states that God’s covenant with the Jewish people is eternal:

Genesis 17:8 (NKJV):
“Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

With everything that has happened over the past two years, it is clear the world has forgotten. We must declare “Lest we forget” — not merely with our lips, but in our hearts — and demand real change as we move into 2026.

Zechariah 2:8 (NKJV):
“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.’”

Israel is the apple of God’s eye.