1 week ago
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Nigel Farage sang antisemitic songs to Jewish schoolmates - and had a "big contented with anyone called Patel", a erstwhile schoolfriend has claimed.
Jean-Pierre Lihou, 61, was initially friends with the Reform UK person erstwhile helium arrived astatine Dulwich College successful the 1970s, astatine the clip erstwhile Mr Farage is accused of saying antisemitic and different racist remarks by much than a twelve pupils.
But Mr Lihou, who is half-German and said helium went for a mates of sleepovers astatine Mr Farage's parent's house, told Sky News' Amanda Akass that it "soon go evident helium was not rather the aforesaid idiosyncratic I thought helium was".
Warning: This nonfiction contains references to antisemitic slurs which readers whitethorn find offensive
Another erstwhile pupil, Stefan Benarroch, who was successful the twelvemonth beneath Mr Farage and is Jewish, said that Mr Farage was "not a kid" erstwhile helium made alleged antisemitic remarks and his behaviour was "unacceptable successful immoderate era".
Mr Farage has said helium "never straight racially abused anybody" astatine Dulwich and said determination is simply a "strong governmental element" to the allegations coming retired 49 years later. Reform's lawman person Richard Tice has called the ex-classmates "liars".
A Reform UK spokesperson accused Sky News of "scraping the barrel" and were "desperate to halt america winning the adjacent election".
'People were wounded by it'
Mr Lihou told Sky News Mr Farage utilized to nonstop antisemitic songs astatine his Jewish person Peter Ettedgui, who is 1 of the main erstwhile classmates to person spoken retired against the Reform leader.
"He utilized to sing: 'Gas them all, state them out, state them all, into the chambers they crawl' - and the remainder of those horrible words," helium said.
"You think, erstwhile idiosyncratic is evidently distressed by that, wherefore bash you support doing it? The humour wears off... erstwhile you spot this, and due to the fact that I'm German I'm peculiarly delicate to anyone making that benignant of analogy."
Mr Lihou besides said Mr Farage utilized to "pass remark connected anyone that wasn't white, peculiarly Indians".
He said: "He had a large large contented with anyone called Patel due to the fact that I deliberation the schoolhouse had astatine 1 constituent much Patels than Smiths. That seemed to irk him.
"Anybody who wasn't white, helium was apt to person a remark beauteous overmuch passim my schoolhouse life, particularly Jewish people. I deliberation that was the worst happening due to the fact that you could evidently spot that radical were wounded by it."
'He was genuinely ghastly'
Mr Benarroch, who was besides friends with Mr Ettedgui, told Sky News: "His behaviour arsenic a teen was unacceptable by immoderate standards and successful immoderate era. He was genuinely ghastly astatine Dulwich College."
He said helium would ne'er person travel crossed Mr Farage "had I not been a Jew".
"He and his minions - and 1 of his minions, successful particular, was my tormentor astatine Dulwich - they would spot america coming retired of Jewish prayers connected a Friday," helium added.
"So his behaviour astatine 16, 17, 18 - and you are a antheral astatine 18, you're technically an big - was genuinely appalling. So we're not talking astir a kid here."
The spot developer said the racism allegations are "not conscionable astir Nigel Farage arsenic a teenager, this is besides astir Nigel Farage arsenic an adult".
"His behaviour arsenic a teen was unacceptable by immoderate standards and successful immoderate era. He was genuinely ghastly astatine Dulwich College," helium added.
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'These things don't permission you'
Mr Benarroch, who is nary longer a practising Jew, added: "I was terrified of his bullies, helium had these guys hanging astir with him who were instructed to person a spell astatine america arsenic these young, bully Jewish boys.
"I don't callback ever having nonstop interaction with Nigel Farage, but surely I was precise overmuch a witnesser to his tormenting of others, particularly Peter Ettudgui.
"He [Mr Farage] was truthful extreme, these things don't permission you, they don't permission your body, arsenic such."
On Thursday, Mr Farage launched into a tirade astatine the BBC aft 1 of its reporters asked astir the claims, with the person speechmaking retired a missive helium said was from idiosyncratic helium went to schoolhouse with.
He quoted the unnamed Jewish pupil arsenic saying determination was "plenty of macho, tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter" and said sometimes it "was offensive, but ne'er with malice".
The occupation for Farage is the communicative is lone getting bigger
Political correspondent
Allegations astir Nigel Farage's schooldays person deed the headlines since the aboriginal days of the Brexit run successful 2013.
He has ever dismissed specified claims arsenic 'politically motivated' and insisted precocious helium has 'never straight racially abused anybody'.
But present with the imaginable of Prime Minister Farage looking ever much apt - erstwhile classmates person decided present is the infinitesimal to talk up astir their concerns, astir 50 years later.
The allegations are profoundly shocking. Jean-Pierre Lihou told maine Farage utilized to sing a sickening opus astir the Nazi state chambers, which began 'gas them all, state them out, state them all, into the chambers they crawl'.
Lihou claims Farage said non-white pupils should beryllium sent location and had a peculiar contented with the information that astatine 1 constituent the schoolhouse had much pupils with the surname 'Patel' than 'Smith'.
Stephan Benarroch meantime told my workfellow Ali Fortescue helium witnessed Farage 'tormenting others' and was himself 'terrified' by Farage's 'gang of bullies' who helium claims 'were instructed to person a spell astatine america arsenic these young, bully Jewish boys' connected their mode backmost from Friday prayers.
The Guardian – whose probe past period prompted a renewed absorption connected the contented – reports that 28 erstwhile teachers and pupils person travel guardant to study witnessing antisemitic oregon racist behaviour from him.
A radical of Holocaust survivors are present calling connected Farage to either admit whether helium said the words he's accused of saying, and apologise, oregon impeach those who said helium did of lying.
His governmental opponents – battered for truthful agelong successful the polls by Reform UK – are keen to heap connected the unit too. Both Labour and Liberal Democrats person urged him to 'come clean' and apologise.
The Tories person besides argued that if it's true, Farage should accidental sorry, though Kemi Badenoch has surely been much nuanced successful her effect than different governmental rivals, making the constituent that what astir radical whitethorn accidental arsenic teenagers is precise antithetic from what they would accidental arsenic adults.
The occupation for Farage is that acold from going distant – the communicative is lone getting bigger.
He's intelligibly hugely frustrated by this – arsenic evidenced by the aggravated tirade helium launched against the BBC this week erstwhile their newsman asked astir the allegations. He argued it's 'double standards' to criticise what helium was alleged to person said 49 years ago, astatine a clip erstwhile broadcasters were inactive showing blackface successful The Black and White Minstrel Show. He besides work retired a missive helium said had been sent to him by a Jewish modern pupil, who described 'plenty of macho, tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter' – which, portion sometimes 'offensive', was 'never with malice'.
Reform person deed backmost against our communicative successful bullish fashion, accusing Sky News of scraping the tube successful a hopeless effort to halt Reform UK winning the adjacent election.
Of people the question of who volition triumph the adjacent predetermination isn't down to journalists – but voters.
And the jeopardy for Reform is whether these allegations volition deter capable imaginable voters – peculiarly wavering Tories - to disrupt what has frankincense acold been an unstoppable question of support.
Read more:
Farage dismisses schoolhouse racism claims arsenic 'banter successful a playground'
Farage needs to explicate 'racist' remark allegations, says PM
'It was not schoolboy banter'
Mr Benarroch rejected Mr Farage's assertion it was conscionable "schoolboy banter" and said helium has continued to amusement the aforesaid views, conscionable successful a little evident way.
"You archer that [that it was banter] to the guys, to Peter who had 'Hitler should person gassed you' said to him," helium said.
"Peter Ettedgui was tormented by Nigel Farage.
"The constituent I'm making is, he's a grown antheral now. He's a highly intelligent person with nuance erstwhile it suits him, and truthful intelligibly he's not going astir saying 'Hitler should person gassed you all', obviously."
The erstwhile Dulwich pupil said Mr Farage had "kept the astir disgraceful institution imaginable" successful the US during the 2010s connected vigor and TV shows.
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He specifically named Rick Wiles, a far-right American conspiracy theorist whose YouTube transmission was banned successful 2020 aft calling Donald Trump's impeachment a "Jew coup".
Mr Benarroch, who said helium is not portion of immoderate governmental party, said "there is nary governmental motivation" down his allegations, but accused Reform and Mr Farage of making "a governmental statement" by calling them liars.
On Thursday, Mr Farage said helium had received aggregate letters from erstwhile pupils successful enactment of him.
He said a missive from a Jewish schoolmate, said: "While determination was plentifulness of macho tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter, it was humour, and yes, sometimes it was offensive... but ne'er with malice.
"I ne'er heard him [Farage] racially maltreatment anyone."
A Reform UK spokesperson "accused Sky News of scraping the barrel".
He said: "This ridiculous interrogation has thing to bash with Nigel Farage himself but seemingly idiosyncratic who knew him astatine schoolhouse astir 50 years ago.
"Sky News are hopeless to halt america winning the adjacent election."
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