Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
AS a non-religious, atheist Jew, I am not one to make many biblical references.
However, reading the news that representatives of the neonazi Azov Battalion have been invited to tour Israel as part of a PR stunt for the Ukrainian government, I found myself remembering the words of Jeremiah: “Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”
I found myself thinking of my ancestors and the millions of Jews slaughtered at the hands of Nazis.
As antisemitism grows, the labour movement must recommit to defence of minorities while navigating the complexities of Gaza and global politics, argues NICK WRIGHT
Bezalel Smotrich’s measures to extend Israeli property law into the West Bank are a continuation of a decades-long project to dispossess Palestinians and preclude statehood, argues HUGH LANNING
ASSAF TALGAM talks to an Israeli Communist lawmaker about the need to use every tool of democratic and non-violent struggle; how Israeli society has changed since October 7 2023; and the persecution of the left in the parliamentary arena
Organised workers at the notoriously anti-union global giant are scoring victory after victory, and now international bodies are pitching in to finally force this figurehead of corporate capitalism to give in to unionisation, writes EMILIO AVELAR


