Pogroms are probably the most perfidious form of violence against Jews. The hunt for Jews where they are at home burns itself deeply into the collective consciousness of Jews. It influences contemporary Jewish thought. Such was the experience of April 19, 1903 - a Passover festival that fell on Easter Sunday - in the Russian provincial town of Kishinev, which became the scene of the most brutal violence against Jews.
A few weeks earlier, the body of a Christian boy was found a few kilometers away. The medieval prejudice that Jews would drink the blood of Christian children at Passover was deeply rooted among the people of this region. The murder of Kishinev became a catalyst for the Zionist movement and a symbol of the need for Jews to find a new homeland.
Likewise, on November 9, 1938, the National Socialists set fire to more than 1,400 synagogues, destroyed countless Jewish shops, murdered an estimated more than 1,300 people, and deported 30,000 to concentration camps. It was the ultimate demonstration of hatred of Jews and the certainty: that the vast majority of Germans watched the murderous activities idly by or became perpetrators themselves. This November pogrom in 1938, whose 85th anniversary is this week and which pointed the way to the Shoah, fueled the desire and also the need for a Jewish state, which came true in 1948 with the founding of Israel on historical ground for Jews.
And then October 7, 2023: The pogrom of our time; the bloodiest day for Jews since the Shoah. A pogrom in this Jewish homeland of Eretz Israel. Hamas terrorists slaughtered and massacred 1,400 innocent Israelis; Women, men, children, old people. They beheaded 40 babies in one place. More than 200 hostages are still held by terrorists. The cruelty and fanatical hatred that comes from it is hard to imagine.
The unbridled terror of Hamas on October 7th also changed the lives of the Jewish community in Germany. Not just since Hamas and Hezbollah called for violence against Jews all over the world on the Day of Wrath. The fear is deeply anchored in the historical pogrom experiences. Jewish parents are afraid to send their children to school, let alone to sports. Yes, the Jewish institutions are protected and the visible presence of the authorities radiates security, but the truth is that with all the hatred on the streets and especially online, the uncertainty and fear cannot be tamed so quickly. This is psychological terror.
How do we look at November 9th in this situation; on the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht? Are we going around in circles? Anyone who sees the images of Arab young people wishing for Adolf Hitler back and shouting “gas the Jews” will not be able to avoid this question. There is a parallel in the thinking of right-wing radicals who reject an active culture of remembrance of the Shoah and Islamist fanatics who want to wipe out Israel and destroy all Jews. Who doesn't know the picture of Adolf Hitler with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from 1941?
Surveys show the problem groups
But the two sides have even more in common. Their contempt unites them for Germany, our country, and what it represents; their contempt unites them for Western liberality, the breathing room for every individual. The circle closes: “Free Palestine from German guilt” is the motto in left-wing extremist and increasingly left-wing circles in great aversion to the lessons of November 9th and the demonization of Israel as a Western colonial state. Yes, Germany has no particular responsibility for Israel, according to a current Forsa survey, according to almost 80 percent of AfD supporters. What an unholy alliance.
According to a demographic study by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, 20 percent of AfD supporters surveyed believe that Jews are the real rulers of the world. Only the Muslim group is higher, with 26 percent agreeing with this statement. Anti-Semitism is not a concern of the margins of our society, no matter how much we might hope so. These and other figures, but at the latest the experiences since October 7, 2023, make this clear.
Broad groups are susceptible to hatred of Jews and hostility to Israel, and that is what worries me greatly. Behind closed doors, anti-Semitism has penetrated the middle of society. Cultural institutions and cultural workers woke individualists who otherwise wear their morals loosely on their sleeves, have, in the best-case scenario, gone into hiding - one year after the scandalous Documenta, the cultural industry is once again laying its cards on the table.
That doesn't apply to everyone. There is the German Cultural Council, which stands firmly on the side of the Jewish community, and some have joined it. Anyone who still believes after October 7th that BDS is harmless nonsense cannot be helped. Many media outlets, trying to maintain a false neutrality, seem overwhelmed by the situation. Who knew that Hamas wasn't a reputable source?
And it is precisely there, at the universities, in the editorial conferences, at the theaters, or at the well-laid dinner tables in middle-class homes, that just a few weeks after the bloody Shabbat of October 7th, people are philosophizing about the supposed question of “vacuum space”, about how far Israel can now go in its self-defense. And of course, the only democracy in the Middle East is constantly reminded that international law must be adhered to.
What a presumption to judge from a distance over an army that, even after Hamas's cruel slaughter, has developed mechanisms like no other in the world to prevent civilian casualties - an effort that is counteracted by Hamas' strategy, if possible causing many civilian casualties. “You cannot photograph avoided victims,” the sociologist Armin Nassehi recently wrote about it.
Robert Habeck's important contribution
In the tension of not wanting to do anything wrong, many people lose their attitude. Unfortunately, this also applies to the federal government with its decision not to stand on Israel's side in the UN, but rather to support the confederation's relativization course towards the Jewish state. This is also a disappointment for the Jews in Germany. The abstention contradicts politicians' mantra-like declarations of solidarity. It calls into question credibility, which is so vital in social discourse. And this discourse is necessary right now. The Vice-Chancellor demonstrated this impressively with a significant contribution during the week.
Without a doubt, Germany has caught up with the debate about migration. It is massively shaped by the images of celebrating people of Arab origin who not only cannot condemn the cruel Hamas terror but not only have welcomed it but are cheering it on. According to the aforementioned KAS study, 16 percent of Muslims in Germany reject Israel's right to exist. A fanatical core of seven percent accepts violence against Jews. What do you know about November 9, 1938? What do they know about the centuries of persecution and pogroms? What do you know about Kishinev?
The debate must not be carried out across the board and thus become a boost for right-wing populism. But it would be best if you didn't deny yourself reality because you're afraid of it. Not all social conflicts caused by migration have something to do with discrimination or racism. Banning them would be an absolute affront to the majority of peaceful Muslims living in Germany. The failure of the Islamic associations shows once again that they do not offer any orientation. The consequences are uncertainty, half-knowledge, and an indifference that quickly seems like acceptance.
In the shadow of caution and consideration, we have allowed fanatics to take root in our society and propagate views incompatible with our modern and pluralistic way of life. Of course, we have to talk about education. Clan bosses and Salafist preachers spend hours explaining to thousands of young people on social media what they should think and what they should do. This barricades the heads.
A strategy for reaching these young people seems a long way off. Approaches in which prospective teachers learn how to deal with anti-Semitism in their classrooms through additional courses such as those at the University of Würzburg are more likely to fall victim to budget-related cuts than to be perpetuated or even rolled out widely.
The country looks like it is in a long hibernation. We will hear a lot of the right things again on November 9th. How important the memory of the Shoah is for Germany. That Jewish life must be protected. Jews in Germany must “never again” fear for their lives. We will thank you for that. We will turn up the collars of our winter coats and walk inconspicuously along our sometimes poorly lit paths. And we will hope. We will hope that these days pass. We will hope that the confessions are followed by actions. And we will continue to point this out tirelessly.
