Once the bustling heart of Christian pilgrimage, Bethlehem now faces shuttered hotels, empty streets and a shrinking Christian community, while Israel’s assault on Gaza and the tightening grip of occupation destroy hopes of peace at the birthplace of Christ, writes Father GEOFF BOTTOMS
Holocaust Memorial Day in an era of resurgent anti-semitism
We are seeing a rise in anti-semitism being used by the organised far right internationally on a scale not seen since the 1930s — which makes the lessons of the Holocaust more important than ever, writes WEYMAN BENNETT
The Holocaust showed what can result from racism being driven by the state, particularly in moments of extreme crisis for governments — and some parallels exist today in the political and economic climate that led to the rise of the Nazis in the 1930s
After years hidden away, Oldham’s memorial to six local volunteers who died fighting fascism in the Spanish civil war has been restored to public view, marking both a victory for campaigners and a renewed tribute to the town’s proud International Brigade heritage, says ROB HARGREAVES
The June 2025 attacks on Iran have heightened the risk of a wider war, exposed the fiction of a rules-based international order and left ordinary Iranians trapped between external aggression and internal repression, says the Committee for Defence of Iranian People’s Rights
While pretending to seek peace, Europe is heading toward a collision course with Russia – using security guarantees, troop deployments, expropriation and censorship as tools, writes SEVIM DAGDELEN
A WWI hero, renowned ornithologist, medical doctor, trade union organiser and founder member of the Communist Party of Great Britain all rolled in one. MAT COWARD tells the story of a life so improbable it was once dismissed as fiction
The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
WEDNESDAY sees the now-annual Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) in Britain. When “Camp Auschwitz” hoodies are worn by Trump supporters rampaging at Capitol Hill, the many “be the light in the darkness” themed events for HMD are most timely.
The memorial day is commemorated each year on January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945. It is critical to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, particularly when, for instance, the likes of QAnon are so pervasive with dangerous, racist and anti-semitic tropes.
Hungary’s Viktor Orban is one of several prominent European politicians who target philanthropist George Soros in anti-semitic campaigns. From Ukraine to Italy and Poland, the far right use mainstream anti-semitism to gain legitimacy. Only yesterday, far-right populists made serious electoral gains in Portugal. This will boost the far right elsewhere.
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Political manipulation of history and exceptionalising of anti-semitism as a shield for Israeli war crimes are having a harmful effect on the fight against all racism and fuelling a cynicism that’s especially dangerous in today’s world, argue JULIA BARD and DAVID ROSENBERG
The proponents and enablers of Holocaust distortion and anti-communism now have increasing political power and influence in a number of European countries, obstructing an understanding of the reality of fascism’s crimes, warns MARY DAVIS
