RSS
80 Years After Auschwitz’s Liberation, ‘Never Again’ Is Now
Anti-Israel protesters hold flags on the route of the annual International March of the Living, outside former Auschwitz Nazi German death camp, in Oswiecim, Poland, May 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki
Exactly 80 years ago, on January 27, 1945, the world witnessed the liberation of Auschwitz, with the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust on full display. More than 1.1 million Jews were systematically and brutally murdered in Auschwitz, cementing it as one of the most harrowing symbols of humanity’s darkest period.
Given the Holocaust’s enormity and relatively recent history, its atrocities should be deeply ingrained in our collective memory. Unfortunately, eight decades later, a disturbing number of people question, distort, or outright deny the acts of evil that took place.
With 20% of adults worldwide stating that they have never heard of the Holocaust, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)’s recent Global 100 survey paints a sobering picture: the fight for memory, truth, and justice is far from over.
So how can we ensure that “Never Again” holds meaning in a world where Holocaust denial and distortion are on the rise?
To confront this challenge, we must first look at the facts.
First launched in 2014, the ADL Global 100 remains the most comprehensive study of antisemitic attitudes worldwide. The latest survey gathered responses from more than 58,000 adults across 103 countries and territories, covering 94% of the global adult population.
Our findings are deeply concerning: 46% of the world’s adult population — an estimated 2.2 billion people — hold elevated levels of antisemitic attitudes.
In just a decade, this figure has more than doubled from nearly 1.1 billion, highlighting a disturbing rise in hatred and ignorance.
When asked about the Holocaust, 4% of respondents worldwide — around 280 million people — denied its existence outright.
And while outright denial remains deeply alarming, distortion — a more insidious form of denial — is becoming even more widespread.
For example, fewer than half of the respondents, only 48%, acknowledge the Holocaust as a historically accurate event. Even more troubling, a staggering 17%, around 1 in 6 adults worldwide, misrepresent its scope, minimizing its gravity and distorting the truth of what transpired.
Examining the issue globally, we see that geographic differences significantly impact levels of Holocaust distortion. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have the highest rates, with 33% of adults holding distorted views, followed by Asia at 18%.
In these regions, where Holocaust education is far from standard, nearly half of adults in MENA and Africa (46%) and a third in Asia (33%) — have never heard of the Holocaust.
Additionally, while MENA countries struggle significantly with accurate Holocaust recognition, three Asian countries — Bangladesh, Indonesia, and India — rank among the lowest five in the world for Holocaust awareness. With their combined populations nearing 1.9 billion, this highlights the critical need for Holocaust education initiatives in both MENA and Asia.
In addition to regional complexities, a spotlight on young adults aged 18 to 34 reveals troubling patterns. Among this demographic, only 39% worldwide recognize the historical accuracy of the Holocaust, and they are 13 percentage points more prone to antisemitic beliefs compared to older generations. In other words, we’re sitting on a demographic time bomb.
While these statistics are significant, they compel us to ask: What now? The challenge lies in shaping our next moves and determining our course of action. How can we effectively address these concerning trends?
The answer lies in a comprehensive, whole-of-society approach. To combat antisemitism in general — and Holocaust denialism or distortion in particular — we need the active involvement of governments, civil society, and individuals alike.
Now is the time to act, and each of us has a role to play.
Additionally, another important aspect is equipping the general public with educational tools about Jewish identity, history, and the Holocaust, to better recognize and confront antisemitism. This approach is supported by research conducted by ADL’s Center for Antisemitism Research (CAR), highlighting that respondents who agreed with more anti-Jewish tropes knew significantly less about Jews, Judaism, and Jewish history, including underestimating the number of Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
ADL is at the forefront of this battle, actively working to provide diverse populations globally with resources aimed at recognizing and confronting antisemitism. Holocaust education programs like Echoes & Reflections and its student activities series “Explore the Past, Shape the Future” are vital components of ADL’s strategy to fill educational gaps, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive Holocaust education as a means to foster understanding, empathy, and critical thinking.
In the face of rising Holocaust denial and distortion, the responsibility falls on us to act decisively. As we mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, we hold the duty to honor those whose lives were brutally taken, preserving the truth for future generations. We must commit to learning, teaching, and standing up against hate in all its forms.
The fight for memory, truth, and justice is far from over. Together, it is our duty to ensure that it continues on.
Amb. Marina Rosenberg is the Anti-Defamation League’s Senior Vice President for International Affairs.
The post 80 Years After Auschwitz’s Liberation, ‘Never Again’ Is Now first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israel Says Missile Launched by Yemen’s Houthis ‘Most Likely’ Intercepted
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
The Israeli army said on Saturday that a missile fired from Yemen towards Israeli territory had been “most likely successfully intercepted,” while Yemen’s Houthi forces claimed responsibility for the launch.
Israel has threatened Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement – which has been attacking Israel in what it says is solidarity with Gaza – with a naval and air blockade if its attacks on Israel persist.
The Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group was responsible for Saturday’s attack, adding that it fired a missile towards the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.
Since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis, who control most of Yemen, have been firing at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea, disrupting global trade.
Most of the dozens of missiles and drones they have launched have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.
The post Israel Says Missile Launched by Yemen’s Houthis ‘Most Likely’ Intercepted first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Iran Holds Funeral for Commanders and Scientists Killed in War with Israel
People attend the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 28, 2025. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Large crowds of mourners dressed in black lined streets in Iran’s capital Tehran as the country held a funeral on Saturday for top military commanders, nuclear scientists and some of the civilians killed during this month’s aerial war with Israel.
At least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were among those mourned at the funeral, according to state media, including armed forces chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander General Hossein Salami, and Guards Aerospace Force chief General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
Their coffins were driven into Tehran’s Azadi Square adorned with their photos and national flags, as crowds waved flags and some reached out to touch the caskets and throw rose petals onto them. State-run Press TV showed an image of ballistic missiles on display.
Mass prayers were later held in the square.
State TV said the funeral, dubbed the “procession of the Martyrs of Power,” was held for a total of 60 people killed in the war, including four women and four children.
In attendance were President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures including Ali Shamkhani, who was seriously wounded during the conflict and is an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as Khamenei’s son Mojtaba.
“Today, Iranians, through heroic resistance against two regimes armed with nuclear weapons, protected their honor and dignity, and look to the future prouder, more dignified, and more resolute than ever,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who also attended the funeral, said in a Telegram post.
There was no immediate statement from Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since the conflict began. In past funerals, he led prayers over the coffins of senior commanders ahead of public ceremonies broadcast on state television.
Israel launched the air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders as well as civilians in the worst blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1980s war with Iraq.
Iran retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites, infrastructure and cities. The United States entered the war on June 22 with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
TRUMP THREAT
Israel, the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said it aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.
Iran denies having a nuclear weapons program. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said it has “no credible indication” of an active, coordinated weapons program in Iran.
Bagheri, Salami and Hajizadeh were killed on June 13, the first day of the war. Bagheri was being buried at the Behesht Zahra cemetery outside Tehran mid-afternoon on Saturday. Salami and Hajizadeh were due to be buried on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would consider bombing Iran again, while Khamenei, who has appeared in two pre-recorded video messages since the start of the war, has said Iran would respond to any future US attack by striking US military bases in the Middle East.
A senior Israeli military official said on Friday that Israel had delivered a “major blow” to Iran’s nuclear project. On Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that Israel and the US “failed to achieve their stated objectives” in the war.
According to Iranian health ministry figures, 610 people were killed on the Iranian side in the war before a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday. More than 4,700 were injured.
Activist news agency HRANA put the number of killed at 974, including 387 civilians.
Israel’s health ministry said 28 were killed in Israel and 3,238 injured.
The post Iran Holds Funeral for Commanders and Scientists Killed in War with Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Pro-Palestinian Rapper Leads ‘Death to the IDF’ Chant at English Music festival
Revellers dance as Avril Lavigne performs on the Other Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
i24 News – Chants of “death to the IDF” were heard during the English Glastonbury music festival on Saturday ahead of the appearance of the pro-Palestinian Irish rappers Kneecap.
One half of punk duo based Bob Vylan (who both use aliases to protect their privacy) shouted out during a section of their show “Death to the IDF” – the Israeli military. Videos posted on X (formerly Twitter) show the crowd responding to and repeating the cheer.
This comes after officials had petitioned the music festival to drop the band. The rap duo also expressed support for the following act, Kneecap, who the BCC refused to show live after one of its members, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – better known by stage name Mo Chara – was charged with a terror offense.
The post Pro-Palestinian Rapper Leads ‘Death to the IDF’ Chant at English Music festival first appeared on Algemeiner.com.