Cheltenham MP marks Holocaust Memorial Day

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood is marking Holocaust Memorial Day today by attending a special service this evening at Cheltenham's beautiful regency synagogue. The MP has also announced that he will be visiting the former wartime concentration camp at Auschwitz in the company of local school students.

The special service at Cheltenham synagogue will take place at 6.30pm tonight. The trip to Auschwitz will take place on 19 March and will be organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust.

Martin commented: 'The lesson of the Holocaust is that we must always stand firm against prejudice and hatred. It is particularly important for those of us who are critical of the Israeli government's recent actions in Gaza - and I am very critical of them - to make clear the distinction between government and people and never let criticism of Israel drift into anti-semitism. The Jewish people have a very deep sense of history and I am honoured to have been asked to share this moment of reflection with Cheltenham's Jewish community. And of course it is always a pleasure to visit Synagogue Lane and one of Cheltenham's most beautiful buildings.'

'The visit to Auschwitz will be less pleasant but equally important - for me and for the young people involved. The holocaust was a terrible episode in European history and it must never be forgotten. I rarely fly nowadays but this will be a once in a lifetime event for all of us, I'm sure.'