Even before Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, anti-Semitic attitudes were widespread in Germany. This is shown by the preliminary results of a study by the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Religion Monitor 2023. As early as the summer of 2022, around one in five Germans agreed with the statement that Jews have “too much influence in our country”. Almost half of those surveyed supported the statement that what the State of Israel is doing to the Palestinians is comparable to the Holocaust.
“Overall, we are experiencing a disinhibition of prejudices that already existed,” says Yasemin El-Menouar, head of the study, when presenting the first results on Tuesday. The study revealed widespread prejudices and stereotypes that are now being fueled by the escalating Middle East conflict.
The study distinguishes between two forms of anti-Semitism: on the one hand, classic anti-Semitism, which represents conspiracy narratives according to which Jews are particularly influential, and on the other hand, anti-Israeli anti-Semitism, i.e. anti-Semitic narratives that are packaged as criticism of Israel’s policies.
Israel and Nazi Germany are equated
According to the results, anti-Israel anti-Semitism in particular is more widespread in Germany than in other European countries. While 43 percent of those surveyed in this country agreed with the comparison between Israel and Nazi Germany, in France, for example, it was only 31 percent and in Great Britain and the Netherlands 35 percent.
Classic anti-Semitism is most prevalent among AfD supporters, with 40 percent approval; anti-Israeli anti-Semitism is even more widespread among supporters of the FDP (54 percent) and the Left (51 percent) than among those of the AfD (48 percent). “We observe that it is often difficult to distinguish between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel,” says El-Menouar. Although anti-Semitic statements should not be directly equated with a closed anti-Semitic worldview, they did provide a breeding ground for radicalization and a gateway for populists and extremists.
According to the study, anti-Semitic attitudes are more widespread among Muslims than in the rest of society. Around two thirds of Muslim respondents compared the treatment of Palestinians by Israeli politicians with the actions of the Nazis. More than a third said that Jews had too much influence in Germany.
Attitude depends on migration history
However, attitudes also differ depending on migration history. Muslims with roots in Southeastern Europe were significantly less likely to agree with anti-Semitic statements than those with roots in the Middle East. According to the authors, this suggests that not only religiosity but also political socialization plays an important role. According to the study, anti-Semitic attitudes are also less common among people with a migration background who were born and grew up in Germany than among first-generation immigrants.
The study also shows that Muslims in Germany also have to struggle with prejudice and hostility. 52 percent of all respondents perceive Islam as threatening. Just over half of those surveyed are also of the opinion that Islam is “primarily a political ideology” and calls for violence. Among younger people, the proportion of those who find Islam threatening is significantly lower. Among 16 to 24 year olds it is 37 percent.
It is important to recognize that Muslims are excluded in Germany, says study director El-Menouar. As an immigration society, Germany must be more successful in bringing in different people with different backgrounds of experience: “Since Islam is still not accepted enough here, many practicing Muslims fall back on the perspectives and practices of their countries of origin and also adopt attitudes from there.”