Nach meinem Empfinden hatte es schon vor dem 7. Oktober einen Stimmungsumschwung gegeben. Man merkte es an der Reaktion auf die antisemitischen Kunstwerke auf der Documenta. Die wurden zwar öffentlich verurteilt, aber Teile des Kunstbetriebs waren für die Kritik unempfänglich, und das Publikum scheint sich kaum dafür interessiert zu haben. Die Documenta war ja ein Besuchererfolg. Mein Engagement begann aber schon 2018. Die Kuwait Airways hatte damals israelische Staatsbürger von ihren Flügen ausgeschlossen, und ein deutsches Gericht hatte das letztinstanzlich bestätigt, obwohl es aus verschiedenen Gründen ein klarer Bruch mit dem deutschen Recht war. Das hat mich damals sehr bewegt: Wie kann es sein, dass ein Richter eine so klare Ungleichbehandlung nicht erkennt? Das hat mich dazu veranlasst, Kurse an der Universität zu geben, um das Grundverständnis der Studenten für den relevanten Sachverhalt zu verbessern, zu sehen, woher diese Denkstrukturen rühren und wie sie im Bildungssystem verankert sind.
Das Netzwerk beklagt, viele jüdische Hochschulmitglieder würden sich aus Angst vor Anfeindungen nicht mehr auf den Campus wagen und ihre jüdische Identität verbergen. Wie hat sich Ihr Verhalten verändert?
Ich bin vorsichtiger geworden, viel, viel vorsichtiger. Ich würde auf dem Campus nicht mehr zeigen, dass ich jüdisch bin, außer vielleicht in einer kleinen Gruppe. Ich erlebe auch, dass man bestimmte Dinge nicht mehr wie früher sagen kann; oder es wird einem gesagt, dass man bestimmte Dinge nicht beurteilen könne, weil man jüdisch sei und deshalb nicht neutral sein könne. Ein großes Thema sind Ausladungen oder das Ausbleiben von Einladungen, die man sonst immer bekommen hat. Es kommt vor, dass Redner zu jüdischen Themen gebeten werden, die Universität durch die Hintertür zu betreten, damit es zu keiner Konfrontation mit Aktivisten kommt. Manche Kollegen sind auf Onlinelehre umgestiegen, um Anfeindungen und Konfrontationen zu vermeiden. Juden werden so aus dem öffentlichen Raum zurückgedrängt, und manche meinen, das Problem sei damit gelöst. Wir haben gemerkt, dass sich eine Linie verschoben hat und ein Bruch durch die Universitäten geht.
Die Hochschulen haben sich nach dem 7. Oktober klar gegen Antisemitismus positioniert und Maßnahmen angekündigt. Sind den Erklärungen Taten gefolgt?
Unser Eindruck ist, dass die Politik die Gefahr klar erkannt hat und uns zuhört. Wir sind sehr dankbar für die klaren Worte. Ich sehe nicht immer, dass ihnen klare Handlungen folgen. Dass hängt wohl damit zusammen, dass es in Teilen der Wissenschaft eine starke Tendenz gibt, bestimmte Formen des Antisemitismus zu ignorieren oder zu leugnen, die gerade an den Hochschulen stark ausgeprägt sind. Hier gibt es ein Spannungsverhältnis zwischen Wissenschaft, Recht und Politik.
Are German universities hotspots of anti-Semitism, or does it only affect a few universities, as some claim?
It does not affect all universities in the same way. According to the evidence we have, the hostility goes well beyond the handful of universities that were in the spotlight.
According to a study by the University of Konstanz, eight percent of students have anti-Semitic attitudes, which is around ten percent below the social average. Is the protest limited to a small circle of activists?
The problem is that this study, which some are now relying on, does not adequately take Israel-related anti-Semitism into account. This in turn not only affects the student body, but also scientists. There is a broad tendency to tolerate anti-Semitism as long as it is expressed through the detour of so-called criticism of Israel. We saw this in the protest letter from scientists who protested against the evacuation of the protest camp at the Free University of Berlin, even though there were clearly anti-Semitic and violence-glorifying statements there.
Anti-Semitism research is divided over Israel-related anti-Semitism itself. Parts of it want to replace the IHRA definition, to which the German universities have committed, with the Jerusalem definition. The IHRA definition condemns double standards against Israel as anti-Semitic. The Jerusalem definition largely separates anti-Semitism from the so-called criticism of Israel. According to her, the boycotts against Israel by the BDS movement would not be anti-Semitic per se. How do you assess that?
I don’t think the IHRA definition is the panacea, but it at least makes it possible to capture forms of anti-Semitism that we encounter in everyday life. If one were to accept the Jerusalem definition, many things that take place in reality would be cut off. It would potentially legitimize a slogan like “From the River to the Sea,” which denies Israel’s right to exist and aims at the destruction of Jewish life.
What form of anti-Semitism do you feel most threatened by at universities?
This is especially Islamist anti-Semitism, it affects us physically. Israel-related anti-Semitism appears more subtle, but is very pronounced. We experience right-wing extremist anti-Semitism less directly at the university, although it is very dangerous for society as a whole and we have no illusions about the AfD. If she comes to power, it will be catastrophic for us. But at universities we are dealing with a different balance of power.
Let’s move on to the anti-Israel protests themselves. Who are they supported by? Do you have any insight into the background?
We see that the anti-Israel protests are carried out by recurring, primarily politically motivated, professionally organized non-university actors. These actors are connected to each other in the form of networks and are very well advised legally. They are active within the university, for example in protests, in panel discussions or in distributing flyers. In addition, they also specifically use a variety of social media, such as Instagram or Whatsapp, to promote their worldview, which is charged with propaganda, conspiracy theories, hatred and incitement. The actors behind the protests know the legal limits and vulnerabilities of the free democratic society and the German legal system and specifically exploit these for their own purposes. Any romanticization of the protests and the activities associated with them is misplaced.
Have you tried to talk to activists?
I would be far too scared. In my courses at the university I talk to everyone who comes. But I don’t expect that it would be possible to have a calm and objective conversation with the demonstrators. We have seen at the Berlin universities how aggressive they are and what damage they have caused. They don’t want an exchange of opinions, they just want you to agree with them, otherwise they’ll shout you down. That is not a basis for dialogue.
University leaders say they are forced to allow the protests as long as there are no violations of the law.
The question is always what kind of character such an event has. Is a political opinion expressed there that can be the basis for a discussion, or is it just hatred and incitement being spread? The protest is often preceded by smear campaigns on the Internet, which indicate the nature of the demonstration, as was recently the case with our network member Julia Bernstein. You can draw your conclusions from this. The second question is whether the Fraport ruling, which establishes the obligation to tolerate demonstrations and protest camps, can be transferred to universities. A university is certainly a different place than an airport.
In your opinion, what needs to be done to give Jews a feeling of safety on campus again?
Contact points are important. By this I mean places that provide information about Jewish life in Germany in such a way that you can experience it as an enrichment. The other is education about the Middle East conflict. Many immigrants come from countries where anti-Semitism is part of everyday culture and is spread by state authorities, such as in Syria. A lot can be achieved here with education. But education alone will not solve the problem. We need positive experiences. Anti-Semitism is often irrational. However, in some cases the encounter between people can overcome it. I firmly believe in that.
Should there be an anti-Semitism clause in funding applications, as is being discussed in politics?
I think it is very important that politicians do something to protect Jewish life in Germany. Legally, this is certainly difficult to implement, and I see the weaknesses in the current draft, but the situation is so dramatic that we absolutely have to do something. There is no alternative.
#AntiSemitism #universities #situation #dramatic