A report compiled by the Israeli Embassy in Berlin highlights a "sharp increase in documented cases of antisemitism across Germany."
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Since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, there has been a notable rise in antisemitic incidents in Germany and around the world, particularly of leftist and Islamist nature, a new report published by the Israeli Embassy on Thursday warns.
The report finds it especially concerning to see these two forms of antisemitism, which are fundamentally conflicting, yet paradoxically united in the West, and particularly in Berlin, against a “common enemy.”
“This severe phenomenon demands an appropriate response. It represents a connection that is not only theoretically implausible but also practically challenging,” the report read.
“This trend is even more pronounced in the U.S. Therefore, it's essential to allocate attention and resources to combat this form of antisemitism, both due to the alarming trend documented and because this unnatural union can be relatively easily destabilized.”
The report reviews several recent studies and surveys in Germany, clearly showing worrying trends of a significant rise in documented antisemitic incidents.
The Bertelsmann Foundation determined that Israel-related antisemitism is now socially accepted. 43% of the population agrees with the statement that what the State of Israel does to Palestinians is not fundamentally different from what the Nazis did to Jews during the Third Reich. Support for this statement is less common among Green Party voters, while among CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP and Left voters, support ranges between 43 to 54%.
Antisemitic attitudes related to Israel are more prevalent among people who migrated and grew up in countries with less sensitivity to the Holocaust and the German responsibility that stems from it. Devout Muslims exhibit higher rates of antisemitic attitudes compared to the rest of the population.
Berlin Monitor conducted a survey among city residents and found that 15% of Germans believe that "even today, the influence of Jews is still too great", a significant increase from 8% in 2021 and just 3% in 2019.
"Jews use evil tricks more than other people to get what they want" – 13% agreed with this statement. "Jews are distinct from society and don't really integrate into it" – 12% of Germans agree with this statement, compared to 6% in 2019 and 5% in 2021.
28% of Germans now agree with the statement that reparations demands from Germany primarily fund a “Holocaust industry” of lawyers rather than benefiting the victims, up from 13% in 2019 and 18% in 2021.
Additionally, 27% of Germans believe that the establishment of Israel was a bad idea, a significant rise from 13% in 2019 and 12% in 2021. Furthermore, 19% equate Israel's policy toward the Palestinians to Nazi policies in World War II, consistent with 19% in 2021 and slightly up from 17% in 2019.
Alarmingly, 13% of Germans in 2024 hold Jews responsible for most wars and conflicts worldwide, compared to 6% in 2021 and 2% in 2019.
The RIAS Berlin antisemitism research and information center analyzed antisemitic incidents in Germany from October 7 to November 9, 2023, and found that there was an average of more than 8 antisemitic incidents per day during this period, a significant increase from the 2-3 daily events in 2022.
90% of these documented incidents were related to the events of October 7: one incident of extreme violence, 12 antisemitic assaults, 23 property damage incidents, 10 threats and 235 offensive incidents, including 23 gatherings and one mass threat.