Anne Frank was 15 years old when she died in a Nazi concentration camp. Yet her words outlived her body. Words scribbled in a diary from a secret attic in Amsterdam became one of the world’s most powerful mirrors.
This summer, I found myself in Amsterdam for Mindvalley U. By chance, my Airbnb was on the street next to Anne Frank’s house. Each morning, I’d step outside and see the same canals, the same cobblestones, and the same rooftops Anne may have glimpsed in stolen moments when she dared peek out from her hiding place.
A few mornings later, I opened the news and froze. The Diary of Anne Frank had just been banned in Florida schools under new book-ban laws. Imagine that. In 2025, one of the most important human documents ever written—the testimony of a teenage Jewish girl hiding from Nazi genocide—was deemed “inappropriate” for children to read.
The synchronicity hit me hard. I was standing before the building where those words were written. Words that survived Anne, even though she did not. Words that outlived war, genocide, and cruelty—only to be silenced again today by politicians who fear truth more than hatred.
And this got me thinking.
If Anne Frank were alive today, what would she say about America? About Israel & Gaza?
What I’m about to share may feel uncomfortable—but Anne’s words demand we face discomfort.
Who was Anne Frank
Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt in 1929. When the Nazis rose to power, her family fled to Amsterdam, hoping to escape persecution. In 1942, when deportations began, they went into hiding in a small annex behind her father’s office. For over two years, Anne, her sister Margot, her parents Otto and Edith, and four others lived in silence, relying on the courage of Dutch friends who smuggled them food and news.
Anne wasn’t just a symbol. She was a teenager—funny, sharp, sometimes rebellious, and always observant. She dreamed of being a journalist. She once wrote, “I want to go on living even after my death.” And, tragically, she did—not through her life, but through her words.
In August 1944, they were betrayed. The Gestapo stormed the annex. The Franks were deported to Westerbork, then Auschwitz, and finally Anne and Margot to Bergen-Belsen. In early 1945, both sisters died of typhus—just weeks before liberation. Anne was 15.
Only Otto Frank survived. After the war, Miep Gies, one of the helpers, handed him Anne’s diary. He published it, fulfilling her dream. Today, it has sold over 30 million copies and been translated into more than 70 languages.
Anne’s body was silenced. But her voice became immortal.
Anne’s words in today’s world
Anne once wrote:
“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor, helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”
She was describing Nazi roundups in Amsterdam.
But doesn’t that sound eerily like ICE raids in America today? Parents taken in the middle of the night. Children left crying, bewildered, abandoned. Different time, different uniforms—but the same cruelty.
Anne also wrote:
“We are chained to one spot, without rights, a thousand obligations… waiting for the inevitable end.”
That could be the voice of Gaza today. Entire families locked in. Starved. Bombed. Denied freedom of movement. Children asking, “Why must we suffer simply because of who we are?”
Her words, written 80 years ago, read like dispatches from the present. History is not past. It is a loop—unless we break it.
A hard, controversial mirror
Anne’s diary teaches us to look at cruelty honestly, no matter where it comes from. And one thing history proves: atrocities don’t start with bullets. They start with words.
Dehumanizing language always comes first.
So let’s talk about Gaza, as uncomfortable as this may seem.
Consider the echoes:
- Nazi leadership (1943): Heinrich Himmler at Posen: “I am referring here to the evacuation of the Jews, the extermination of the Jewish people….”
- Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (2023): On the Palestinian town of Huwara: “[Huwara] should be wiped out. I think the State of Israel should do it.”
- Hitler, Mein Kampf: Jews as “the typical parasite, a sponger who, like an infectious bacillus, keeps spreading.” Nazi propaganda routinely cast Jews as vermin.
- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (2023): Announcing a siege of Gaza: “There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel… We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
- Nazi propaganda (Goebbels echoing Hitler): Jews blamed collectively for war, threatened with “extermination.”
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog (2023): “It is an entire nation out there that is responsible….” — words widely criticized as endorsing collective punishment.
- Nazi euphemisms: “Evacuation” as code for extermination.
- Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (2023): Suggesting a nuclear strike on Gaza was “one of the options.”
Different contexts. Different scales. But the same pattern.
Dehumanize → Justify → Destroy.
Anne Frank’s words remind us: when we hear this language, it is never “just rhetoric.” It is the runway to cruelty.
You see, cruelty always begins the same way: when leaders tell us to fear “the other.”
Fear the immigrant.
Fear the refugee.
Fear the neighbor who looks different.
Fear the people beyond your border.
That is the oldest political trick in the book. And it works—unless we refuse to buy it.
Anne Frank didn’t write her diary so we could cry in museums. She wrote it so we could recognize her suffering in others—and have the courage to stop it.
Why giving people a chance matters
This message hit me with even greater force because, while in Amsterdam, I also had a chance encounter.
I bumped into a young Syrian man who once worked for me back in 2016. At the time, he was a refugee in Malaysia. He and his friend had escaped a country torn apart by war. One had seen his home blown to rubble. The other had lost a brother when a bomb fell on the very place his brother was resting.
Both had lived through horrors most of us can barely imagine. And yet, when I met them, I didn’t just see refugees. I saw brilliant young minds. I saw hope, determination, and resilience.
That year, I had an idea for a new learning model called Quest and needed someone to build the app. These two young Syrians built it in record time. That app became the Mindvalley app—today used by millions worldwide and even featured in 200,000 Apple stores on the iPad.
Yes, our app was built by Syrians. Yes, it was built by refugees who were given a chance.
Anne never got her chance. But when we give people that chance, look what can happen.
This is why I am so adamant about this message. When politicians tell you to fear refugees, or immigrants, or minorities, they’re not just lying. They are robbing humanity of its future.
The rule we must all live by
If there’s one rule we must all live by, it’s this:
The moment a leader tells you to fear refugees, minorities, or immigrants, you are looking at a tyrant.
Do not believe them. Do not reward their fear with your silence—or your vote.
Because fear divides. And division always leads to cruelty.
What the world needs now is unity.
Unity across stripes, colors, races, and ethnicities. Unity across cultures, religions, and especially across borders.
Because the only way we solve the greatest challenges facing humanity—from climate change to war to poverty—is to remember this truth:
We are one humanity.
And kindness cannot stop at the invisible lines of race, religion, or border.
The higher vision
Anne Frank once wrote:
“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
That may be the most extraordinary line ever written. She believed it while hiding from people who wanted her dead.
If Anne could believe in human goodness then, we can believe in it now.
Let’s prove her right.
Let’s choose compassion over cruelty.
Let’s stand up for one another across borders.
Let’s silence the voices of fear not by shouting back but by choosing unity again and again.
Because Anne’s diary isn’t just a warning.
It’s a torch.
And it’s in our hands now.
So here’s what we can collectively do.
Stand for unity. Across color. Across race. Across borders. Across religions.
When you hear fear, answer with love.
When you hear division, answer with solidarity.
When a politician uses scapegoating, vote the other way.
The only way to honor Anne is to prove her right—that humanity is good at heart.
And that goodness becomes real when we act.
Because history doesn’t just happen to us. It is written by our choices—and our silence.
I’d like to hear from you: Drop a comment below—let’s create a conversation around unity, compassion, and what it means to stand for humanity in our time.
1,027 Responses
I read your recent article with deep concern. As someone who values peace, dialogue, and truth, I feel compelled to raise my voice.
Your comparison between Nazi Germany and the current situation in Israel and Gaza is not only historically inaccurate but also deeply offensive. The Holocaust was a systematic attempt to eradicate an entire people. Equating that genocide with Israel’s struggle for survival diminishes the memory of its victims and distorts the present reality.
In your article, you also miss the opportunity to show empathy for the victims of terrorism. Families continue to grieve, and hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. To overlook their suffering is to erase an essential part of the human reality at the heart of this conflict.
Israel today faces an existential threat from Hamas, an organization that openly declares its aim to destroy the Jewish state. No other country in the world is asked to endure calls for its total annihilation while simultaneously being condemned for defending its citizens. This crucial fact was absent from your article. By framing the situation in this way, your words risk generating hatred between the lines rather than fostering dialogue and understanding.
As someone who teaches mindfulness and aspires to build a community rooted in compassion, I urge you to consider the responsibility that comes with your voice. True mindfulness cannot exclude historical truth, nor can it overlook the pain and fear of a people under constant threat of terrorism.
It is possible—and necessary—to hold compassion for innocent lives on both sides while still condemning terrorism and acknowledging Israel’s right, and obligation, to protect its existence. To conflate this defense with the crimes of Nazi Germany is to misinform, to wound, and to feed into dangerous antisemitic tropes.
If we truly care about peace and healing, we must begin by honoring the truth. That means acknowledging the complexity of this conflict, the suffering of all civilians, the ongoing tragedy of the hostages, and the undeniable fact that Israel’s existence continues to be threatened by those who seek its eradication.
It’s shocking how is often overlooked that Palestinians in Gaza have lived under siege for years, facing displacement, blockades, and bombardment. Recognizing this doesn’t justify violence against civilians, but in the other hand it does help us understand why this conflict is not equal. You described Israel as only defending itself, but for Palestinians, this defense has meant tens of thousands of civilian deaths, homes destroyed, full neighborhoods flattened, hundreds of kids if not bombed they starved to death after growing up under occupation. Calling this only ‘self-defense’ risks erasing the humanity and suffering of Palestinians. WHAT IS ENOUGH for Israel to finally be safe? I can answer that for you, It’s full ethnic cleansing until the last Palestinian Semite indigenous person.
If we truly care about peace and healing, then the lives of Palestinian children, families, and elders deserve the same empathy and recognition as Israeli lives. Justice and peace can’t exist if one people’s pain is centered and the other’s is minimized. “NEVER AGAIN” should apply to everyone!
Vishen,
Your post demonstrates a troubling selective outrage that demands clarification. On October 7th, 2023, Hamas terrorists systematically murdered 1,200 innocent civilians – including children, women, and elderly – in acts of brutal violence that included rape, torture, and execution.
The facts are clear:
* 240+ people were kidnapped, with approximately 50 hostages still held captive (only about 20 presumed alive) after almost 2 years. Among the hostages was 10-month-old Kfir Bibas and his 4-year-old brother Ariel, who were brutally strangled to death simply for being Jewish.
* Hamas has rejected multiple ceasefire proposals that would end this conflict immediately
* Billions in international aid intended for Gaza’s development was systematically diverted to build 500+ kilometers of terror tunnels
* Hamas’s charter explicitly calls for Israel’s destruction – their stated goal is genocide
Your comparison of Israelis to Nazis is not just historically ignorant, it’s morally reprehensible. Israel is defending its citizens against an organization who’s founding documents mirror Nazi ideology in their explicit calls for Jewish extermination.
This war ends the moment Hamas releases all hostages and stops using Gazan civilians as human shields. Until then, Israel has both the right and obligation to defend its people.
Before making such inflammatory statements, I challenge you to visit Israel, meet with hostage families, and look into the eyes of survivors. Your current stance suggests you’ve chosen ideology over human decency.
Facts matter. Context matters. And right now, your silence on October 7th speaks volumes.
It is indeed a very inspiring post. I’ve been reading recently “The Book of Joy”, by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Douglas C. Abrams and I am fascinated by the idea that one of the pylons of joy is to treat other people with compasion despite their nationallity, colour, gender, religion or any other characteristic that our socitiies learn us to consider as differenciation. I am really glad to ascertain that those ideas of unity, equality, forgiveness, kindness and generousity are shared, repoduced, discussed and even thought of, not only among spiritual people like Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu but among all of us. It is rather encouraging for the world we are raising our children in. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and reminding us that above all we are all human beings.
We stand with oppressed no matter where they are. i appreciate the courage of bringing to stand with right for the poor people of Gaza . being Human it is indeed our responsibility to stop the brutality and what comes here is the right or wrong wrong like the Israelis killing innocent children , it matters a lot to even bring that actual picture of fear , and brutality . we stand with peace and unity along for the Humanity and for the right .
Blessings
As a Jewish person and ex Israeli , a lefty that seeks peace and hopes for a good future for both nations…
This email is a bunch of populist writing.
Very disappointed.
While I dislike Israeli government and yes some a racist… There is a big difference between a collection of 3 phrases that smell the same to intentions and actions behind that are different.
Oh and you forgot to mention in your email the countless phrases by Palestinian leadership of the distraction of Jews.
Very surprising. Very populist.
Educate yourself better before you chose to have an opinion. Especially a simplefied like this one.
Good morning everyone.
I totally agree with you Vishen. The world has been through too many genocides and atrocities for too long, and now it’s time for us, as conscious and responsible human beings, to tell the whole world to wake up.
It’s not about looking at who is wrong or who is right. It’s about realising that we have only ONE MOTHER EARTH on which we all, as human beings, and other creatures, have the right to live peacefully, and the responsibility to live sensibly. WE HAVE TO SHOW OUR HUMANITY!
We should stop being just mere witnesses to the cruelty being orchestrated and committed by political leaders who are constantly lying to us, dividing us, and putting our precious lives at risk to serve their hidden agendas and/or self interests.
You rightly said:
” The only way to honor Anne is to prove her right — that humanity is good at heart. And that goodness becomes real when we act. Because history doesn’t just happen to us. It is written by our choices — and our silence.”
I think now is the time to act. We must take our responsility and stand up for the future of our planet and set an example for the generations to come… Let’s Stand for Humanity by creating a Movement: Stand for Unity… Stand for Humanity.
Thank you, Vishen, for taking this bold stand for human rights. In both ICE and the Gaza opposition (I don’t even know what to call it without ruffling a LOT of feathers – OK, genocide by Zionists) too many people do not see the individuals that are suffering in each of these conflicts. Mindvalley stands for global citizenship and we should be ambassadors for bringing light to darkness, dilute and disappear the fears of those that we connect with about “others”.
Just thank you. There are many messages here like mine saluting you, and others voicing their discontent, pointing out mistatements you made (the official status of the Anne Frank Diary vs a graphic novel version), It saddens me to see responses that cannot maintain a level of respect and civility even while they disagree with your perspective.
If I could say one thing to folks here – labels are awful. For sure, it’s not helpful to lump an entire group of people into a bucket denying their unique individual soul. Let’s all try to do better. It’s a journey — I’ve been on it more than 40 years (still doesn’t mean I’m the most eloquent at expressing my thoughts – I have a POC perspective so my heart is always open to each human spirit)
Again, thank you Vishen – there is a lot in this newsletter to ponder and I will definitely read again and share with others. You are a great mentor and thought leader!
Vishen,
I have no religious inclinations. I am a person interested in love, peace and justices for all. What yo are writing in this email Is not disappointing, it’s ALARMING that you are using this platform for political matters.
Comparing the Nazis with the Israeli government is insane, cruel and biased.
YOU ARE A PUBLIC FIGURE AND YO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY WITH HUMANITY TO GIVE THE MOST LOVING GOOD EXAMPLE. There is millions of people that read this and the information in inaccurate and you are doing the opposite of what you teach to others and is against the goal of your company, which is elevating the conciseness of humanity for a better peaceful world.
Using the name of a jewish girl and her story to condemned her own people and their country is a disgrace.
YOU FORGOT what happened in October 7th, almost 2 years ago, where Hamas entered the homes of thousands of innocent people, killed their parents in cold blood, raped woman, children and men, burned babies in ovens and until now has hostages trapped in Gaza, in the tunnels and in their homes. Gaza has supported Hamas all this time.
Why don’t you mentions that?
WHA WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOUR EXWIFE OR YOUR DAUGHTER WERE HOSTAGES for the last 2 years?, in chains, in tunnels, beaten and almost starved to dead? what would you do? would you still compare Nazis to the Israeli Government?
What you are doing is not right. You are taking sides and you are not well informed. You do not know the whole story. No one really is.
You have a religious preference and you are writing discrimination and antisemitism, causing more differences, division and hate between people in the world.
Don’t you think it’s enough what is going on?, you need to contribute to spreading more hate.
Why does the Israeli Government decides to do need to be wrong or condemned?
Your job is to spread love, hope and understanding, not talk about political matters that you don’t really understand truly.
Talking with 2 Syrians and giving them a chance to create your app doesn’t make to an expert in politics or make the situation go away.
YOU ARE incredibly knowledgable and experienced, able to create peace, not separation, not condemning governments when you don’t really know anything. The media is a liar in every way, and you are spreading that crap.
This is not right and he should stop doing it.
YOU should never ever comment on government matters. Half of the things that the governments do are secret and what the people of the world understand has nothing to do with their real intention.
The government intentions could be good or bad in any country and it’s none of our business to take sides, to have an opinion or to condemn anybody
YOUR VISION and goal has been to create a better world and to bring people to a higher level of consciousness to have peace in love
This is discrimination and antisemitism, I am not Jewish and I am absolutely in disbelief
I can only imagine any Jew that read this, when he dares to use the name of Anne Frank, a Jewish little kid
You should keep those comments to yourself.
I am so disgusted and this is not the first email where you writes this kind of things.
They are so many things you could write, why get involved in politics?
I hope you can understand my point of view. Everything you do has been so far so wonderful for the journey of my life, but this is an absolute step back and I am wondering if you grew your business, the way you did to Support The Muslim vision to destroy the state of Israel in the jews in the world
IF ANYONE believes all the things that you wrote HERE using the name of Anne Frank in the most disgusted way, they would be the result of your hidden intention: Creating more hate to the country Israel and theUnited States.
NO ONE SHOULD FALL IN THIS TRAP, I didn’t, but unfortunately, you have become such a humble public figure that people will believe all this and just like you like this word: is bullshit.
APOLOGIZE AND STOP THIS, IT IS NOT HELPING THE WORLD. GOD GAVE YOU A GIFT AND SO MANY BLESSING, BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT YOU RECEIVED AND GIVE GOOD AND LIHGT BACK!!
Thank you Vishen, for being brave enough to speak out and take a stand.
It is truly heartbreaking what happened to the Jewish people in the past, and equally heartbreaking what is happening to Muslims and Christians in Gaza today. This is not about religion, it is about humanity. And I believe we must all continue to strive, and hold onto hope that humanity will win at the end of the day.
I’ve been a long-time subscriber and follower of Mindvalley and I always read your newsletters with awe. But today, I have a renewed and deeper respect for you. Thank you, your words mean so much.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
For saying the words that needed to be said.
My respect for you has grown enormously with this.
Thank God for good people willing to speak Truth.
Wow a great write up to wake up to. Helplessness to say the least is the feeling that I get to when hearing about the pain of these people. Thank you for writing about this, gives hope . And to all the people who work silently in the midst of these wars.
Wow, this is so well put, Vishen. I visited Anne Frank’s house many years ago and was very touched. It does seem that 100 years after the Nazi’s we are heading in the same direction again. Anti-immigrant feeling is growing in many Western countries and provides a convenient scapegoat for politicians – the problems you have are because of them, the others, they are not like us! It is so much easier to look outward and blame others instead of looking honestly into the underlying issues causing the perceived problems in society. I agree that we need to stand up and respond with Love and Unity…
Bravo! This needed to be said. The parallels are becoming unavoidable. We’d hope to live in a world where a society so deeply impacted by genocide would wish to avoid it. Sadly, generational trauma lives on as fear, then anger, then hatred. Dehumanizing language, polarizations, yes these are tools used to separate people from their inherent morality and goodwill towards others. The Jewish people have always been at risk for committing genocidal atrocities in the name of safety. Hurting others in the manner we ourselves have been hurt is a fast track to ease our terror. The Jewish people I am closest to, self included, stand behind Vishen’s timely message.
His mind never climbs the mountain—it stays stuck in the valley. Jumping on this bandwagon is just another clickbait marketing stunt, like all his aggressive, brainwash-y clips. Snake-oil guru vibes, preying on the gullible, convinced he’s above everyone else—just like in that clip with his assistant.
https://youtu.be/1BbNvim11fI?t=1082
Vishen, how do you see yourself as a human being? At times, it feels as though your truths are shaped to fit your beliefs, rather than the other way around. Those who step into higher awareness often view reality from a broader, more elevated perspective—one that doesn’t lean on personal opinion alone.
If you resonate with the idea of the Matrix, then you already sense that reality runs deeper than appearances. My choice not to join Mindvalley came from noticing that much of what you share reflects your own values and interpretations, rather than opening a path into consciousness itself.
There is so much more to learn about the nature of awareness. Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Perhaps that is the invitation—to live into that possibility, and allow it to guide what you offer others.
Thank you so much, Vishen! From the bottom of my heart, I was losing hope in humanity.
Very couragous and bold stepping up for those and using your reach.
Personally I think it is important, to say that we are all special and a child of the source (however you want to name it, its the same soup :)) and we are all here for some reason, no one more or less.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you for this note, as Venezuelan it hits hard in my heart. I agree that there is good in human kind. Venezuela and its people has been forgotten and now are seen as a plague were they go. I just hope we can all respect our differences and use them for the benefit of all.
As to Shawn’s comment on “what Israel was forced to do in Gaza”
Forced to do?? You mean kill over 60,000 Palestinians, many who were innocent women, children and civilians. ??? No one has “forced Israel” to commit genocide besides Israel
Wake up!
I agree with you Vishen; the way human beings treat each other is heart breaking. Men, and women, without conscience murdering millions for some land. For control. Out of greed. I understand how impactful it is to be so close to where Anne Frank and her family hid. I am Dutch, and although I do not live in Nederland now, I did grow up there, and I have walked where you walked. But to understand why Israel is in the position it is in, one must go back to her beginning, to Cain and Abel. Two brothers, one of which stole the others’ birthright by deceit, out of which, over time, grew two peoples. Israel’s history is well documented in the Old Testament, including the very reason for her existence. Until one knows this history all opinions are based on the here and now and lacking in understanding. Two wrongs do not make a right, and three wrongs even less so. Everything you wrote is true, but not truth. People commenting really should read history before commenting and/or taking sides. Even just going back to 1948 when the present-day Israel became established, a homeland for the Jewish dispersed peoples. Whose land was it where they landed? Whose was it before that? What happened to those peoples? There is a reason there is a Hamas. All of it unforgivable. All of it. And yes, Ghaza is one gigantic concentration camp, but it is not Germany. It makes no difference, it is all evil. Including Trump’s interference and motivations. With one hand sending aid, the other sending weapons to Israel, and the third hand working towards wiping all of Ghaza off the map so he can turn that area into a wonderland for millionaires and billionaires. I wonder why people don’t know that. The same in his interferences in Russia and the EU, Russia and Ukraine, all about greed, What he can get out of the deal: minerals. Recognition. A lot of grandstanding without a thought for the humans being sacrificed. There is nothing we can do about any of it. But, individually we can make our lives better, our homes, our families, the people we have daily contact with. You are an idealist, which is great, but until sin is dealt with humanity doesn’t have a hope, not individually and not en masse, but we should all do the best we can. I hope you enjoyed being in my country. Shalom.
Thank you, Vishen, for your wise, loving words. It seems to me that you come from a place of love, kindness, understanding and compassion. What a great role model and reminder this is to all humanity that this is the place we need to reach and operate from before we can really begin to solve any age-old worldwide problems that are based in fear, hate, anger and revenge, however complex. I live in hope.