Is a national Holocaust memorial still a good idea?

Whatever the fate of the ceasefire and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas, the latest conflict in the Middle East is reverberating far beyond the region. Recent weeks have seen hundreds of thousands of people march through European and American cities in support of either side. Flag-waving protesters were out in London again this weekend: pro-Palestinians on Saturday, those against anti-Semitism on Sunday.  

In London, though, it is not just on the streets where this conflict is resonating. It is sharpening a dispute that has simmered for the best part of eight years over plans to construct a national Holocaust memorial and learning centre in a small park adjacent to Parliament. 

The project was initiated in 2015, with the blessing of the then prime minister, David Cameron. It had a stuttering start. There were objections to the design, which includes a series of huge bronze fins, and to the proposed site: Victoria Tower Gardens, a place favoured as much for dog-walking as for political interviews.