Study in Hamburg - Interview: Three out of four Jews experience antisemitism
A large part of the Jewish women and men in Hamburg have experienced antisemitic incidents in recent times. According to a study on the topic of antisemitism, 77 percent of the interviewees reported having experienced antisemitic incidents in the twelve months prior to the survey. And more than half of these incidents (55 percent) could also be relevant from a legal perspective.
These incidents were reported more frequently as verbal insults and threats, both online and offline, than physical attacks, harassment, or persecution. Most of these incidents (80 percent) were not known to the police, as they were not reported.
The study was commissioned by Equal Opportunities Senator Katharina Fegebank (Greens) and Antisemitism Commissioner Stefan Hensel. It was conducted by researchers from the Police Academy Hamburg and the Police Academy Lower Saxony. In the anonymous survey conducted from November 13, 2023, to February 7, 2024, 548 Jewish women and men participated, most of whom were members of the Jewish Community. The average age of the interviewees was 65 years, significantly older than the average age of the Hamburg population.
More than half of the interviewees (65 percent) who reported experiencing antisemitic discrimination attributed this to the current crisis situation in Israel and Gaza. According to the study, 89 percent of those affected stated that they could no longer freely practice their religion.
Many avoid making their Jewish identity publicly visible and, for example, hide Jewish symbols or wear a kippa. The study also lists a declining trust in public institutions such as the police, courts, city administration, and federal government as one of the indirect consequences.
"These findings make us deeply concerned"
"With this study, we have for the first time in Germany examined the perspective of the affected parties from a scientific perspective, and the results make us deeply concerned," Fegebank said. "When Jewish women and men are insulted at work, on the playground, on the street, or online, when they no longer feel safe in Hamburg and hide their Jewish identity out of fear, then we as a state and as a society are called upon to secure the protection of Jewish life."
The chairman of the Jewish Community in Hamburg, Philipp Stricharz, stated that anti-Israeli hate speech in the public sphere impedes the participation of Jewish Hamburgers in public life. "This hate speech must now be decisively countered by Hamburg and clearly emphasize the responsibility of Hamas for the suffering in Israel and in Gaza." Otherwise, Judaism will disappear from public life.
Stricharz also valued the decision to rebuild the Bornplatz Synagogue, as "Judaism is once again being brought back into the spotlight of the city."
Hensel stated: "Given the current study, it is clear that we still have a lot to do in terms of trust in investigative authorities and in terms of security feelings."
Police President Falk Schnabel stated that the protection of Jewish life has the highest priority at the Hamburg Police. "However, it is clear from the current study that we still have a lot to do in terms of trust in investigative authorities and in terms of security feelings."
- The study on antisemitism in Hamburg and Lower Saxony was conducted by police academies in both regions, with support from Antisemitism Commissioner Stefan Hensel and Equal Opportunities Senator Katharina Fegebank from Germany.
- The research found that more than half of the Jewish individuals who experienced antisemitic incidents in Hamburg attributed it to the ongoing crisis in Israel and Gaza.
- The chairman of the Jewish Community in Hamburg, Philipp Stricharz, expressed concern about anti-Israeli hate speech in public spaces, which he believes hinders the participation of Jewish individuals in Hamburg's public life.
- Stricharz also praised the decision to rebuild the Bornplatz Synagogue, stating that it brings Judaism back into the spotlight of Hamburg's public life.
- Antisemitic incidents in Hamburg were found to be primarily verbal threats and insults, both online and offline, with more than half of these incidents going unreported to the police.
- According to Police President Falk Schnabel, the protection of Jewish life is a top priority for the Hamburg Police, but the findings from the study indicate that there's still work to be done in building trust and improving security feelings within the community.
