Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
Fast Forward

Critics Ask Manchester University To Remove Holocaust Denier Books From Library

Jewish students and faculty at Manchester University in Great Britain are demanding that the institution remove books by the Holocaust denier David Irving from its library — a request that the college has denied on free speech grounds.

“Leaving Irving’s books on open display is a threat to the safety of Jewish students and staff at a time when anti-Semitic hate crime is on the rise across Europe,” read a petition, now signed by 3,000 people, started by North West Friends of Israel.

Added Dr. Irene Lancaster, a lecturer in Jewish history at the university: “The signatories at least understand the pain that Manchester University is causing the Holocaust survivors and their families who live in the city.”

Several universities in Britain, at the request of Jewish groups, have put disclaimers inside his books or moved them to restricted areas of the library.

Irving came to prominence when he unsuccessfully sued American historian Deborah Lipstadt for libel over charge that he was a Holocaust denier.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.