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Antisemitic Reactions to October 7: The German Case
Author(s): Gruber, Julius; Loy, Bianca; Poensgen, Daniel
Editor(s): Freedman, Rosa; Hirsh, David
Date: 2024
Topics: Antisemitism: Monitoring, Hate crime, Main Topic: Antisemitism, October 7 2023 attacks + aftermath, Violence
Abstract: October 7 marked the beginning of an antisemitic dynamic in Germany: By mid-November, civil society reporting offices working with the method developed by RIAS had documented a total of 994 antisemitic incidents in the context of the Hamas massacres and the war in Israel and Gaza for the period from October 7 to November 9, 2023. This equates to 29 incidents per day. The incidents include three cases of extreme violence that could potentially be deadly. The chapter deploys the concept of opportunity structures to describe this dynamic. In this sense, the widespread violence perpetrated by Hamas in Israel establishes a framework that also favours the occurrence of antisemitic incidents in Germany. Opportunity structures such as social structures, political-cultural reservoirs, public debates, situational factors and others are not the reason for antisemitism but provide antisemites with the framework to act antisemitically. Taking into account the perspective of those affected by these antisemitic incidents, the chapter states that for Jews in Germany, October 7 represents a turning point that further intensifies the feeling of threat and isolation in German society.
‘It's All about Context’: Antisemitism in the Discursive Space Post 7 October
Author(s): Matras, Yaron
Editor(s): Freedman, Rosa; Hirsh, David
Date: 2024
Topics: Main Topic: Antisemitism, October 7 2023 attacks + aftermath, Antisemitism: Discourse, Language, Linguistics
Abstract: The chapter applies the linguistic notion of illocution – the goal that an author or speaker seeks to achieve through a sentence or utterance – to social media posts following the Hamas massacre of 7 October 2023. In context, statements that purport to be descriptive take on a different function – one that positions the author's stance. As such they not only escape factual scrutiny; they become emotive, rallying calls. That makes them inherently divisive in a zero-sum debate as they take for granted attitudes that are judgemental and prejudicial. I argue that this is one of the mechanisms through which antisemitism is acquiring legitimacy in certain spaces of public discourse. I demonstrate the importance of context for a forensic-linguistic analysis of antisemitic discourse.
The King's ‘No’: Anti-Israelism and Antisemitism in Norway after the 7 October Massacre
Author(s): Brekke, Torkel
Editor(s): Freedman, Rosa; Hirsh, David
Date: 2024
Topics: Israel Criticism, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Main Topic: Antisemitism, October 7 2023 attacks + aftermath, Anti-Zionism, Antisemitism: Left-Wing
Abstract: In the days following the 7 October massacre, the Israeli flag flew in solidarity with the traumatized nation in many Western cities. In Norway, however, it turned out to be difficult to publicly express sympathy and compassion with the victims of Hamas' terror and mass murder. Why did the Labor Government of Norway and the city councils of Oslo and other cities go out of their way to tone down expressions of sympathy? Why were condemnations of Hamas mostly half-hearted or absent? This chapter explains these reactions by exploring certain peculiarities of Norwegian political history. It looks at how a significant movement on the extreme left in Norway worked to mainstream radical anti-Zionist ideology from around 1970, it looks at the crucial role of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) in the mainstreaming of this radical ideology and discusses the relevance of wider global anti-Israeli and antisemitic trends on the left after the year 2000.
The German Press, Israel, and October 7, 2023: Initial Research Findings on Reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Author(s): Hessenauer, Jonas; Uwira, Lukas
Editor(s): Freedman, Rosa; Hirsh, David
Date: 2024
Topics: Antisemitism: Discourse, Antisemitism, Israel Criticism, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Main Topic: Antisemitism, October 7 2023 attacks + aftermath, Media
Abstract: This chapter presents the preliminary results of an ongoing qualitative study researching German media coverage of Israel in 2023. The authors identify recurring distortions and mistakes in the reporting on Israel. While the reproduction of antisemitic stereotypes projected onto Israel is relatively rare, distorted reports that depict Israel in a negative manner occur with some frequency. Articles adopt one-sided perspectives, and events are not always sufficiently contextualized or historically classified. Despite the continuity of problems with media coverage, the German media seem to report on Israel in a slightly more supportive manner after October 7th than before, with the exception of letters to the editor and interviews. This is a remarkable change compared to the reporting on prior conflict phases (e.g. the Second Intifada). However, it is still too early to determine whether October 7th and its aftermath have had a lasting impact on German journalism and its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Therefore, further research on the topic is urgently needed.