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Anti-Semitic alliances

Postmodern criticism of Israel and hatred of Jews in new contexts as a challenge for political education work

Greta Thunberg's reaction to the Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians has shocked and surprised some observers in Germany. There was talk of the "fall of the climate icon". In fact, the statements made by Thunberg and many of her fellow campaigners in the global climate protection movement are shocking - but they are not surprising. For years, campaigners against climate change have also been positioning themselves on the side of pro-Palestinian activists. They are part of a long line of progressive, left-wing, activist and other movements that integrate pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel[1] and anti-Semitic positions and narratives into their fight for an actual or supposedly better world. Anti-racism groups, activism from the spectrum of queer feminism, postcolonial theorists, identitarian conspiracy thinkers and Islamists pursue very different and sometimes diametrically opposed goals. However, many of them are united by their criticism of Israel and some by their hatred of Jews. This is an enormous challenge for the global fight against anti-Semitism. In the wake of postmodern theoretical approaches, chains of argumentation and forms of activism, anti-Semitic narratives and myths penetrate seemingly unsuspicious social and political contexts. This often happens unnoticed and without reflection. Although the core of anti-Semitism remains the perception of Jews expressed as hatred, it is changing its form and context. The tried and tested instruments for combating anti-Semitism that have been established in Germany for decades - such as discussions with contemporary witnesses, trips to memorial sites or remembrance work - must therefore be supplemented by additional methods and instruments. This text offers a classification of anti-Semitic forms and approaches in the context of postmodern forms of theory formation and activism, shows the individual anti-Semitic bridging narratives of these activisms and formulates considerations for dealing with these new forms and contexts of anti-Semitism.

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This publication is only available in German.

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Dr. Peter Fischer-Bollin

Portrait Peter Fischer-Bollin

Head of Division Analysis and Consulting

peter.fischer-bollin@kas.de +49 30 26996-3613 +49 30 26996-53613
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Dr. Andreas Jacobs

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Deputy Head of Analysis and Consulting and Head of Department Social Cohesion

andreas.jacobs@kas.de +49 (0)30 26996 3744

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