WARSAW, Poland (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid a solemn visit to the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp in southern Poland on Friday, expressing deep shock and horror at the atrocities committed there during World War II. Starmer, accompanied by his wife Victoria who is Jewish, described the experience as “utterly harrowing” as he walked through the haunting memorial site.
During his visit, Starmer reflected on the industrial-scale genocide that took place at Auschwitz-Birkenau, where over 1.1 million people, predominantly Jews but also including Poles, Roma, Sinti, Russian prisoners of war, and others, were brutally murdered by the Nazis between 1940 and 1945. The Prime Minister emphasized that the mass killings were not the actions of a few individuals, but rather the result of a collective effort involving thousands of ordinary people who were complicit in constructing the machinery of death.
Starmer’s visit coincided with the upcoming 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27, 1945. The Prime Minister’s presence at the camp served as a poignant reminder of the dwindling number of survivors who bear witness to the horrors of the Holocaust. King Charles III is expected to join other dignitaries at a commemorative ceremony marking the liberation anniversary.
In a poignant statement following his visit, Starmer expressed grave concern over the resurgence of antisemitism, particularly in the wake of recent global events. He condemned the rising tide of hatred and fear faced by Jewish communities worldwide, citing the escalating antisemitism following the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 as a stark example. Starmer questioned the sincerity of the “never again” pledge, lamenting the persistence of antisemitism and the targeted persecution of Jews even in contemporary society.
Accompanied by museum director Piotr Cywiński, the Starmers were guided through the haunting remnants of Auschwitz, including the gas chambers, crematorium, and personal belongings confiscated from victims. The couple paid their respects at the Execution Wall in Auschwitz I and lit a candle at a monument in Birkenau, where the majority of Jewish victims were brutally murdered.
As Starmer concluded his visit to Auschwitz, he underscored the imperative of remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust and vowed to combat antisemitism in all its forms. The Prime Minister’s somber pilgrimage to the site of unspeakable suffering served as a poignant reminder of the horrors of the past and the ongoing struggle against hatred and bigotry.
