At a conference, a bishop, an antisemitism commissioner, and a member of the board of the German-Israeli Society discuss antisemitism. They also mention ways in which citizens can actively combat it.
“Why do we focus almost exclusively on Israel?” This question was posed by the Bishop of Württemberg, Ernst-Wilhelm Gohl, on Sunday evening during a panel discussion in Schwäbisch Gmünd. He was referring to widespread criticism of Israeli policies and the treatment of the Palestinians.
The discussion was part of a conference on "Antisemitism Today." Michael Blume, the Baden-Württemberg state government's commissioner for antisemitism, also participated. He likewise stated that the Israeli-Arab conflict receives significantly more attention in public debate than conflicts in other regions.
Compare Israel with Myanmar and Pakistan
For example, Pakistan (August 14, 1947), Myanmar (January 4, 1948), and Israel (May 14, 1948) declared their independence within a few months of each other, the political scientist said. Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist military dictatorship. Both there and in Islamic Pakistan, minorities such as Christians are discriminated against.
Blume referred to the Rohingya, who had to flee Myanmar in large numbers: "If criticism is obsessively directed against Israel, and not towards showing compassion for the Rohingya, then I also get the impression that it's not about the Palestinians."
Aras-Nathan Keul, a member of the board of the German-Israeli Society (DIG), criticized the fact that many people are not actually concerned with improving the situation of the Palestinians. He argued that the suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza under Hamas is often ignored. This also applies to the discrimination against Palestinians in Lebanon and other Arab countries. From this, he concluded: "People aren't concerned about the Palestinians; they're simply against Israel."
Stays in Israel and assignments in schools
But the discussion, moderated by Josias Terschüren (Christians on the Side of Israel), didn't stop at the issue itself. Participants also made suggestions about what people could do to address it. Gohl emphasized the importance of personal encounters with Israelis, calling them crucial. He noted that anyone who has been to Israel with the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace, for example, returns with a completely different perspective.
Keul agreed and cited student exchanges as a good way to achieve this. Germans need to try to understand "why Israel acts the way it does and how conflicts are resolved in Israel." He referred, among other things, to the constant threat of terrorism in the Jewish state. Those who inform themselves can then inform others.
Blume spoke of his experiences working in schools as an antisemitism officer. He often hears from young people with a migration background: "We are not to blame." This is because their families did not live in Germany during the Nazi era. But other students also insist that they themselves were not yet born at that time.
He replied, according to his own account: It's about responsibility, not guilt. Origin is irrelevant. Engaging with history enables one to learn from it.
Gohl: Against the “apartheid” accusation and boycott calls
Bishop Gohl urged participants to speak out against antisemitic and anti-Israel statements – such as the absurd claim that Israel is an "apartheid state." He pointed out that in South Africa, there were buses only for whites, but that a comparable segregation was unknown in Israel.
Gohl also spoke out against boycott calls like those from the BDS movement. To the argument that they had been effective in South Africa, he countered that boycotts had begun in Germany during the Nazi era. Therefore, he considered this type of protest completely inappropriate.
Blume sees a great danger in the climate and water crises. Conspiracy theories such as "Jews are manipulating the weather" are already circulating. If water becomes scarce, the medieval accusation of well poisoning could once again become socially acceptable. The President of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah), made this claim before the European Parliament in 2016 – and received applause from the members of parliament after his speech.
Another topic of the panel discussion was Germany's approach to the Iranian regime. Keul argued that Germany must reconsider whether it wants to continue cooperating with Iran in the same way as before, given its hostility towards Israel.
Mayor: Request not to speak at the congress
At the start of the conference, Bishop Gohl emphasized in his welcoming address that anti-Semitism is a sin: "Whoever hates Jews cannot be faithful to Jesus." He also expressed his rejection of Jewish missions.
The mayor of Schwäbisch Gmünd, Christian Baron (CDU), stated that he had received an email requesting him not to appear at the conference. He was therefore particularly pleased to attend. Other speakers had also received similar emails.
Like the other participants in the discussion, Baron considers personal encounters with Israelis indispensable. Schwäbisch Gmünd has therefore recently established a partner school in Kisra-Samia in northern Galilee. An initial exchange has already taken place, and tears flowed on both sides during the farewells. Many friendships have developed between the young people: "Seventeen are now immune to antisemitism. Slogans can no longer harm these seventeen." These German students, after their stay in Israel, have formed judgments, not prejudices.
Blume: Antisemitism is directed against education
In a keynote address, the Commissioner for Jewish Life and the Fight against Antisemitism, Blume, examined the term "antisemitism" and focused on the element "Shem." According to the Bible (Genesis 5:32), this was the name of one of Noah's three sons. According to Talmudic understanding, he is not considered the founder of a race or language. Rather, he was the founder of a school using the alphabet. Antisemitism, therefore, is directed against education.
Blume went on to explain that antisemitism even exists without Jews, citing Iraq as an example. The Islamic State had denounced Yazidis as "Zionists." Others, in turn, had interpreted ISIS as a "Zionist conspiracy." "Antisemitism always leads to ruin," the political scientist emphasized. He knew of no example in history where hatred of Jews had solved any problem.
Antisemitism on the Internet
Keul spoke in a lecture about the internet and social media. He stated that there is an unfiltered and almost limitless spread of antisemitic ideas there. Often, these are coded messages that are not immediately recognizable as antisemitic.
BR editor Malcolm Uzoma Ohanwe is popular among young people. He publishes content on social media that can be interpreted as antisemitic, such as the claim that Jews want to Jewishize more and more land. Because he is young, cool, hip, and has a migration background, he is well-received.
The president of the German-Israeli Society (DIG) also cited examples of misleading reporting about Israel in German media outlets such as "Der Spiegel," "taz," and "Tagesschau." The latter had run the headline in July 2023: "Car drives into crowd in Tel Aviv." However, it was not a self-driving car. "A terrorist was behind the wheel!"
The antisemitism conference will take place from September 24th to 26th at the Schönblick Guest Center in Schwäbisch Gmünd. Organizers include the "Working Group for Messianic Witness to Israel" (amzi), "Christians on the Side of Israel" (CSI), the "Gospel Service for Israel" (edi), the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), the Schönblick Guest Center, and the Christian Media Initiative pro, which also includes Israelnetz.
