"Thou shall not be a perpetrator; thou shall not be a victim; and thou shall never, but never, be a bystander"

Yesterday I watched a powerful National Geographic documentary on Anne Frank and the Holocaust. One quote from the renowned Holocaust historian Professor Yehuda Bauer stood out and I want to share this quote with you on this post:

"Thou shalt not be a perpetrator, thou shalt not be a victim, but, above all, thou shalt never, but never, be a bystander".

This powerful statement feels especially poignant for Targeted Individuals.

Perpetrators

Many of those who participate in targeting operations appear deeply indoctrinated. They may genuinely believe they are serving "the greater good", protecting society, or carrying out legitimate duties. History shows us how ordinary people can be drawn into systems of harm when authority, group pressure, or misinformation overrides basic human empathy. What they do - the psychological torture, the slow erosion of a person’s life and health - is profoundly wrong. Calling it out is not hatred; it is moral clarity.

Victims

One of Anne Frank’s friends who survived Bergen-Belsen emphasised in the documentary that the most important thing victims can do is speak out. Tell the world what is happening. Educate others. Refuse to remain silent in the face of systematic abuse. For TIs, this also means continuing to document experiences, share evidence where safe, support one another, and refuse to let the targeting define our entire identity. We are more than victims - we are survivors and witnesses.

Bystanders

This may be the most challenging part. Far too many people see signs of someone’s distress - isolation, harassment, declining health - and look away. They convince themselves "it’s not my business", "they must have done something to deserve it", or "if it were real, authorities would stop it". True courage means refusing to stay silent or indifferent when we witness wrongdoing, even (or especially) when it’s uncomfortable or risky.

Some in the TI community describe this phenomenon as the "Silent Holocaust" or a "slow kill" program - invisible, denied, and sustained over years. Whether or not one uses that exact language, the parallels in tactics (dehumanisation, isolation, psychological destruction) and the urgent need for awareness are clear.

Bauer’s words remind us that we have choices even under extreme pressure:

- We can reject the victim mindset and reclaim our inner power.

- We can refuse to become perpetrators ourselves, no matter how much anger or despair we feel.

- And above all, we must never become bystanders - neither to our own suffering nor to the suffering of others.

If you are a Targeted Individual reading this: your voice matters. Your testimony matters. Speaking truth, even when it is ignored or ridiculed, breaks the silence that allows these programs to continue.

If you are not a TI but have witnessed suspicious harassment or know someone who is struggling: please do not look away. A single act of kindness, a willingness to listen, or simply refusing to participate in gossip and smear campaigns can make a real difference.

Let us all commit to Bauer’s three commandments. In doing so, we honour not only the memory of Holocaust victims like Anne Frank, but also every person enduring hidden forms of persecution today.

Thank you for reading 💗