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A few days before #HolocaustMemorialDay let us remember that in the build up to the #Holocaust, many Jewish people were frantically trying to escape Hitler's grasp. 
One famous example is the SS St. Louis, a ship that carried 937 people out of Europe - but this proved too many - as nation after nation denied them entry. Most were returned to Europe, and tragically, many of those perished in the Holocaust.
Everyone knew the Jews were scrambling and nobody wanted them. The British often spoke of it - In 1938 Colonel Wedgwood told the UK Parliament to 'throw open the doors' of Palestine before the Jews 'were killed'. david-collier.com/speech-of-colo…
But the British didn't 'open the doors'. During the 1930s the British closed them. The more Jews that ran towards them- the tighter the seal became. In May 1939- with the infamous White Paper - the British shut those doors permanently.
The Mandate was designed to create a safe haven for Jews and awarded to the British. Just as Jewish people needed the protection the Mandate promised the most, the British betrayed them completely. The Jews were trapped in Europe.
From 1917-1948, if there is one thing the UK should apologise for, it is the decision to slam the door of British Palestine shut, in the face of those who needed it the most. Almost every Jew stuck in Germany in Sep 1939 - perished. And the millions beyond Germany?
So on Sunday, spare a thought for those people. We will never know how many could have escaped. Stopped from leaving by us, not the Germans. They should have got out - their descendants should have been born in #Israel. Instead we remember them as victims of the #Holocaust
