# Holocaust Survivor to Mehdi: Trump ‘ABSOLUTELY’ Resembles 1930s Germany Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoIqXPQcqnU Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/WoIqXPQcqnU Generated: 2025-12-08T14:32:17.334+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos confirms to Mehdi Hasan that he believes the current situation in Gaza is a modern-day genocide, drawing a parallel between the actions of the Israeli government and the Nazis, which he finds particularly horrifying because he was once told that what happened to him should never happen again. **Key Points:** - Stephen Kapos, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor from Hungary, states that he believes the current events in Gaza constitute a genocide. - Kapos recounts that his father was sent to a concentration camp, and his family lost 15 members to Auschwitz. - He notes that in 1944, when the Germans invaded Hungary and he was seven, he was shocked by the hypocrisy of the Jewish community leaders who claimed to speak for all Jews while demonizing those who opposed Israel. - Kapos describes the contemporary situation in Gaza as a deliberate destruction, even worse than the horrors he witnessed during the Holocaust. - He resigned from the Labour Party's Socialist Environment and Resources Association (SERA) after they were instructed to protest against Israel, equating the actions to Nazism. - Kapos points out that the Israeli government's actions are systematically creating a state of perpetual fear and instability for Palestinians, which he views as a core element of the ongoing conflict. - The host, Mehdi Hasan, notes that Kapos has become a well-known activist against the genocide in Gaza, gaining media attention for his views. ![Screenshot at 00:04: Stephen Kapos, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor from Hungary, is interviewed by Mehdi Hasan about his views on the conflict in Gaza and his past experiences during WWII.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WoIqXPQcqnU/00-00-04.png) **Context:** The video features an interview between host Mehdi Hasan and Stephen Kapos, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor from Hungary. The discussion centers on Kapos's perspective on the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which he explicitly labels a genocide, comparing current Israeli government actions to those of Nazi Germany. Kapos uses his personal history, including the loss of family in Auschwitz and his experience being hidden during WWII, to contextualize his strong condemnation of what he perceives as state-sponsored atrocities and the hypocrisy he observed within certain political and community factions. ## Detailed Analysis The interview opens with Mehdi Hasan establishing Stephen Kapos's background as an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor from Hungary, whose father was sent to a concentration camp and who lost 15 family members in Auschwitz. Hasan asks Kapos if he believes what is happening in Gaza is genocide. Kapos emphatically confirms this, stating it is a modern-day blood libel against the Jewish people, perpetrated by those who accuse Jews of genocide while committing it themselves. Kapos recounts being shocked by the hypocrisy he witnessed even as a child during WWII, noting that when the Germans invaded Hungary in March 1944, he and others were taken to protective homes, but the reality of the situation was far more dangerous, involving mass killings and the subsequent actions of the Hungarian government which had allied with Germany. He recalls being forced to wear a yellow star, despite his young age. Kapos discusses his subsequent activism, including his resignation from the Labour Party's SERA group after they adopted a stance that he found deeply problematic—accusing Israel of genocide, which he rejects as a false accusation used against Jewish people, but he also recognizes the genuine horror of the situation in Gaza. He states that the propaganda campaign against Jewish people accusing them of antisemitism for speaking out against Israeli actions is false, noting that many Jewish people share his view. Kapos describes how his experiences in the Holocaust shaped his worldview, particularly the realization that the horrors he witnessed were deliberately orchestrated by the Nazis and their allies, and that the Jewish community was not homogenous in its response. He concludes that the current situation in Gaza is a deliberate destruction, even worse than the Holocaust, because it is an ongoing, state-sponsored campaign that he sees as an attempt to drive Palestinians into the sea, which he views as a clear parallel to the Nazi agenda. ### Holocaust Survival and Early Life - Kapos was seven when the Germans invaded Hungary in March 1944; he lost 15 family members to Auschwitz, including his father who was sent to a concentration camp. ### Activism and Political Stance - Kapos became involved in Palestinian liberation activism, leading to his resignation from the Labour Party's SERA group after they issued a statement he interpreted as defending Israeli actions. ### On Gaza - Kapos unequivocally calls the situation in Gaza a genocide, describing it as deliberate destruction, worse than the Holocaust, and fueled by a false comparison that demonizes critics of Israel. ### Critique of Jewish Community Response - He notes that many British Jews, including Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, who opposed the war, were wrongly accused of antisemitism, and that he sees a growing generational shift in attitudes towards Israel. ### Personal Impact - Kapos explains that his childhood experience of being hidden and surviving the final battle in Budapest profoundly impacted his understanding of political upheaval and the capacity for state-sponsored horror. ![Screenshot at 00:01: The interview begins with Mehdi Hasan asking Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos about his perspective on current events.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WoIqXPQcqnU/00-00-01.png) ![Screenshot at 00:16: Kapos recounts that his father was sent to a concentration camp and his family lost 15 members to Auschwitz.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WoIqXPQcqnU/00-00-16.png) ![Screenshot at 01:03: Mehdi Hasan introduces the context of supporters of Israel accusing those who call the Gaza situation a genocide of antisemitism.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WoIqXPQcqnU/00-01-03.png) ![Screenshot at 03:54: Kapos describes the Hungarian semi-fascist/autocratic rule under Admiral Horthy, who eventually made a declaration against the German alliance.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WoIqXPQcqnU/00-03-54.png) ![Screenshot at 24:48: Mehdi Hasan concludes the segment by asking for final thoughts and promoting the Zeteo subscription service.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/WoIqXPQcqnU/00-24-48.png)