Fewer Germans antisemitic - antisemites increasingly radical
Anti-Semitism is less widespread in Germany than it was twenty years ago, according to a survey. However, this is no reason to sound the all-clear: there are currently an average of 29 anti-Semitic incidents every day.
After twenty years, the Forsa Institute has repeated a major study on the prevalence of anti-Semitic attitudes in Germany for the magazine "Stern". The good news: the proportion of Germans with latent anti-Semitic attitudes has fallen from 23% to 7% since 2003.
At the same time, Germans have the impression that the mood towards Jews has worsened in recent years: 53% say that attitudes towards Jews have become more negative. Only 30 percent felt this way in 2003.
The statement "Jews have too much influence in the world" - a basic assumption of anti-Semitism - was agreed with by 14% of respondents. In 2003, the figure was 28 percent. 9 percent believe that the Jews are not entirely innocent of their persecution due to their behavior (2003: 19 percent). Almost one in four (24%) agree with the statement "Many Jews are trying to take advantage of the Nazi past today and make the Germans pay for it" (2003: 38%). Almost one in two (45 percent) no longer want to talk so much about the persecution of Jews under National Socialism and want to draw a line under the past (2003: 61 percent).
One in four AfD supporters latently anti-Semitic
The approval ratings for these and other questions were used to calculate the proportion of latently anti-Semitic Germans using a formula - as in 2003. At one percent, it is lowest among 14 to 24-year-olds. The decline is particularly strong among the over 64s - from 40 to 9 percent.
At 24%, the group with the highest latent anti-Semitism is the AfD electorate: no other breakdown - by age, educational level, occupational group or party affiliation - shows a similarly high value. At 13%, latent anti-Semitism is still comparatively high among people with a secondary school leaving certificate, as well as among 50 to 64-year-olds (11%) and supporters of the left (11%).
29 anti-Semitic incidents per day
Experts do not see the decreasing approval ratings as a reason to sound the all-clear. The Federal Criminal Police Office registered a significant increase in anti-Semitic crimes in the weeks following the Hamas attack on October 7. According to the authority, the potential for escalation is high. Civil society reporting offices have also reported an increase in anti-Semitic incidents. The Research and Information Center on Anti-Semitism (RIAS) recorded an average of 29 anti-Semitic incidents per day after October 7.
Samuel Salzborn, Berlin's contact person for anti-Semitism, told Stern: "The hard core of anti-Semites is becoming more radical, more brutal and possibly more violent." Therefore, it is not enough not to hold anti-Semitic positions, the majority must also actively position themselves against them, Salzborn said. "Otherwise, those who become more aggressive will have a much greater influence on public debates."
The data was collected by the market and opinion research institute Forsa for "Stern" on November 24 and 28, 2023. Data basis: German-speaking citizens surveyed in 2018. Statistical margin of error: +/- 2.5 percentage points.
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The Forsa Institute's recent survey on anti-Semitic attitudes in Germany revealed that while fewer Germans hold antisemitic views compared to 20 years ago, there's still an average of 29 antisemitic incidents reported daily. Additionally, Samuel Salzborn, Berlin's contact person for antisemitism, expressed concern that the hard core of antisemitic individuals is becoming more radical and violent.
Source: www.ntv.de
