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A day of remembrance in a world scarred by genocide
The Holocaust threatened the fabric of civilisation, and genocide must still be resisted every day, writes TONY CONWAY
AUSCHWITZ CONCENTRATION CAMP: The electrified perimeter fence, accommodation blocks and a watchtower at the German concentration camp at Auschwitz in Poland.

WITH the war on Gaza and the continued refusal of the Israeli government to accept international demands and law to negotiate a settlement there has been an increased tendency by some to conflate the actions of Israel with all Jews. This is wrong and as we know anti-semitism has been around for centuries. 

The Edict of Expulsion was a royal decree issued by Edward I on July 18 1290, expelling all Jews from England by no later than November 1 of that same year. This edict remained in place during the Middle Ages and was a culmination of over 200 years of anti-semitism.

Medieval England was particularly anti-Jewish with many images and tropes which exist today arising from that period such as tales of the Wandering Jew as a diabolical figure and allegations of ritual murders becoming widespread. In 1190 over 100 Jews were massacred in York. 

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