in the German-speaking area, the almost impossible criticism of the Israeli government

Demonstration in support of Israel and against anti-Semitism, in front of Humboldt University, in Berlin, October 5, 2024.

Unconditional support for Israel for historical reasons, Germany has elevated the security of the Jewish state to the rank of reason of state. This concept, stated by Angela Merkel before the Knesset in 2008 and never really defined, was taken up explicitly by Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the October 7 attacks and continues to be the subject of an absolute consensus in the political class. This Staatsräson also justifies the intransigent fight that the country is waging against any criticism of the State of Israel, which it implicitly equates with a form of anti-Semitism.

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Germany, where 5.5 million Muslims live and which is facing a rise in power from the far right, is not spared from the tensions which have crossed Western societies since the Hamas attack in Israel on 7 October 2023. Attacks against the Jewish community have doubled since 2022, and police recently foiled an attempted attack on the Israeli consulate in Munich.

In a Bertelsmann Foundation survey published in December 2023 43% of Germans surveyed believed that “ what the State of Israel does today with the Palestinians is in principle nothing other than what the Nazis did with the Jews during the Third Reich.” A higher proportion than in most other European countries surveyed (31% in France, 37% in Poland).

A shared society

But in Germany more than elsewhere, embarrassment in the face of anything resembling criticism of the Israeli government remains evident. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock (Greens), who attempts a differentiated speech, supporting Israel’s right to defend itself while condemning the victims of bombings in Gaza, is systematically criticized for his comments by the conservative press. And in February, the Berlin film festival attracted a barrage of condemnations for having offered a platform considered too favorable to the Palestinian cause. Israeli director Yuval Abraham, whose documentary on the occupied West Bank had just won an award, was even accused of anti-Semitism after speaking about“apartheid” in his speech. “If this is what you do with your guilt in the Holocausthe replied on Twitter, I don’t want your guilt. »

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Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have continued to take place in several cities across the country in recent days, highlighting the gap between Berlin’s official position and civil society since October 7. “Political support for Israel remains uncontested, but there is a growing disconnect with part of German society, particularly people with immigrant backgrounds, notes MP Nils Schmid, spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party for foreign affairs in the Bundestag. Dissonant voices, except extreme ones, are rarely present in the media and public space, even though there are reports on the suffering of Palestinians. » Germany is home to the largest Palestinian community in Europe and remains one of the major donors to the Palestinian cause, he recalls. “We see demonstrations with anti-Semitic excesses, but also a feeling among immigrants that their feelings are not visible. »

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