This month marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany by British troops on 15 April 1945. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, it became a concentration camp for Jewish people and others who did not conform to Nazi ideology. It is estimated that over 50,000 people died there due to inhumane conditions, including a lack of food and water, overcrowding and poor sanitation that caused disease.

The anniversary was a main theme of the March of Life, which I had the honour of attending and speaking at in Belfast city centre on Sunday afternoon past. The march paraded from the Jaffe fountain on Ann Street to the grounds of City Hall, where a commemoration was held. The first March of Life was held in 2007, organised by German people as a memorial and reconciliation march at a site connected to the Holocaust. Since then, marches have been held in 25 nations and hundreds of cities in cooperation with Christians from different denominations as well as Jewish communities. Events highlight the fact that the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis was made possible by the indifferent silence of many and the cooperation of others.

The clear message at the events is that antisemitism is wrong but is a growing danger, as are all forms of racism and religious hatred. It should greatly concern us all that we have witnessed an increase in antisemitism following the attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023. I have heard many speeches by elected representatives on the ongoing situation since that date, and I despair at the lack of balance in many of those speeches. Words have consequences, and many have chosen to speak irresponsibly and in a manner that has acted only to increase antisemitism and damage community relations in Northern Ireland.

We long to see peace restored and an end to hostilities. Again, I call for the immediate release of the remaining Israeli hostages who were captured that day and are held captive by Hamas in Gaza. No country and no people are above criticism and scrutiny of their actions, but no democracy has been singled out for more politically motivated criticism than the state of Israel. We must never forget, as a warning from history, that unconstrained intolerance, scapegoating and the cultivation of hatred against a people can lead to genocide. It led to the Holocaust —

The Member's time is up.

— the greatest act of evil in the history of humankind. We will not be silent.