The TikTok account of a Holocaust survivor was recently flooded with anti-Semitic messages as violence took place in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians.
Lily Ebert, 97, a native of Bonyhád, Hungary, who is a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, created a TikTok account to answer questions about the Holocaust. Over the course of several days, TikTok users posted numerous hate messages on her page, according to her great-grandson, Dov Forman.
“We will not allow this to stop us from educating about the horror of the past, and what hatred can lead to,” he tweeted on May 16, along with a screenshot of the disturbing messages. “Hate only breeds hate.”
Some of the comments include “Happy Holocaust,” “Free Palestine,” “Peace be upon Hitlar [sic]” and “Ask her if she thinks the treatment of Palestinians reminds her [of] the treatment she got in the camp.” In a TikTok video posted on May 21, in which Ebert wished her followers “Shabbat Shalom,” users commented with the Palestinian flag emoji and wrote, “Holihoax, not Holocaust.”
Forman said that despite the hateful comments, Ebert, who lives in London and survived the coronavirus in January, will continue to educate others about the Holocaust.
“Hate breeds hate. We will not let this vile anti-Semitic abuse stop us in our mission of educating the younger generations about the horrors of the Holocaust,” Forman posted last week on Twitter.
He also made a point to show appreciation for those who stood by his great-grandmother, saying: “Thank you for all of your support over the past few days.”