They are beaten up. They are threatened with death. They are insulted. This is the reality for Jews in Germany, now illustrated again by the Research and Information Centers on Anti-Semitism (Rias). Their federal association reported on Tuesday: almost 4,800 anti-Semitic incidents last year. 80 percent more than in 2022, almost twice as many.
Just a few examples, selected from the recently published annual report by Rias: Unknown persons throw a Molotov cocktail at a Jewish community center (which was probably lucky to remain undamaged). Two men insult a Jewish Israeli at a Berlin S-Bahn station, spit on him, hit him, and kick him. In a letter to the Jewish community in Freiburg, someone writes that it will soon be “Kristallnacht again”. And: “In Freiburg, too, we will continue the work of destroying Judaism.”
According to the Rias report, the number of such and similar incidents has shot up, especially since October 7, when Hamas launched its terrorist attack on Israel and Israel began its heavy military strikes on the Gaza Strip. Almost two-thirds of the 4,800 incidents recorded last year occurred between October 7 and the end of the year.
“Open Jewish life has been even less possible since October 7 than before.”
Experts from academia, non-governmental organizations and security authorities had already warned that the escalation in the Middle East would also be followed by an escalation in Germany. They were right. Just last week, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution also noted a (further) de-limitation of anti-Semitism in its annual report for 2023, especially since the fall. The Federal Criminal Police Office has also observed a sharp increase in anti-Semitic crimes since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
The Hamas terror attack on Israel represents a turning point for Jews all over the world, said Benjamin Steinitz, executive director of the federal association Rias, at the presentation of the report on Tuesday morning in Berlin. “An open and natural, but above all carefree Jewish life has been even less possible in Germany since October 7 than before.”
The report shows this using examples from all areas of life: in everyday school life, in elderly care, in sports, in culture, in public transport, on social media and even in one’s own home. “Jews, as well as voices critical of anti-Semitism, are threatened and attacked everywhere,” said Steinitz. There is a “normalization” of anti-Semitic statements, including in universities, which are currently in the spotlight due to the many pro-Palestinian protests.
The Federal Government’s Anti-Semitism Commissioner, Felix Klein, spoke of catastrophic figures in the report. “Jewish life is under greater threat than ever since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany.”
For the report, the civil society organization Rias evaluated all reports that were sent either directly to the federal association or to the twelve regional reporting centers. Among the recorded incidents were seven cases of extreme violence – for example the attempted arson attack in Berlin, as well as serious bodily harm – and 121 other physical attacks. In addition, there were 329 cases of property damage, including anti-Semitic graffiti and stickers. Rias counted 183 threats. The majority of the incidents fall into the category of “hurtful behavior”, namely just over 4,000.
This includes all other types of anti-Semitic statements, such as insults or hate posts, but also attacks that are not necessarily punishable and therefore do not appear in the BKA statistics. It also includes gatherings at which, for example, Israel’s right to exist is denied, at which it is claimed that Israel is committing a “holocaust” in Gaza, at which participants chant things like “Israel, child murderer”, a reference to the ancient anti-Semitic ritual murder legend. More than 800 such gatherings appear in the anti-Semitism report, almost half of which took place after October 7. One pattern here is that Jews in Germany are also being held responsible for the actions and especially the conduct of the war by the Israeli government.
“Anti-Semitic ideology ranges from the far left to the far right.”
But anti-Semitic excesses do not only occur at pro-Palestinian demonstrations or other expressions of solidarity. Rias also continues to keep an eye on the conspiracy-ideological “lateral thinker” scene, which cultivates anti-Semitic narratives such as that of the alleged Jewish puppet masters (George Soros, the Rothschilds) behind a supposed global conspiracy.
The incidents cannot always be clearly attributed to an ideological background, i.e. whether they come from the right, the left, lateral thinkers or the anti-Israel milieu. In almost two thirds of the incidents, the motivation of the perpetrators remained unclear. “Anti-Semitic ideas range from the far left to the far right and into the middle of society,” says Daniel Botmann, managing director of the Central Council of Jews. This must be clearly identified in order to be able to combat anti-Semitism effectively.
The members of the SPD, CDU, CSU, Greens, FDP and the Left Party in the Bundestag supported Rias’ report with a joint statement: “We condemn all hostility towards Jews and are committed to a natural, visible and safe Jewish life in Germany.” The fight against anti-Semitism is “a common obligation for all democratic factions in the Bundestag.” Benjamin Steinitz from Rias hopes so. The significant increase in anti-Semitic incidents, he says, must be a “wake-up call” for the state.