The European Union: Migration debate, xenophobia, racism and right-wing extremism

Sunday, 2 February 2020 - 04:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Knut Wingsch
Category/Kategorie: Editorial, European Union, General

(Latest update: 5 April 2020) It is actually unbelievable: the wall fell, fortunately the Soviet Union failed in its own right, as a result of which most of the Eastern Bloc gained its freedom. There was great hope for democracy, freedom and the rule of law. Especially in the eastward expansion of the EU, which only knows freedom from history lessons, the hope for freedom and democracy was huge. It is all the more surprising that parts of the populations have once again been seduced by nationalist demagogues. From the east, this nationalistic nonsense finally rubbed off into East Germany, which was formerly part of the Eastern Bloc. Where the journey will eventually lead to remains open by now. It will certainly not be pleasing for while.

Content

Introduction
German reunification
Globalization, consumption and capitalism
Islamophobia
Anti-Judaism/Antisemitism
Antiziganism
Persecution of Christians
Populism
Separatism
An antidote

Migration debate, refugees, xenophobia, racism, right-wing extremism and right-wing terrorism

“Let every man seek heaven in his own fashion.” – Frederick the Great

“Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.” – Oscar Wilde

“Freedom is always the freedom of the one who thinks differently.” – Rosa Luxemburg

If everything else doesn’t seem feasible, than at least this one will work:

“Don’t be racist. Hate everyone equally.” – unknown ;-)

German reunification
Those who have actively experienced the German reunification process will have a deja vu experience given the current situation. At that time, as today, a significant portion of the population did not want to bring in “unqualified economic refugees (then the Ossis and people from other Eastern European countries moved to West Germany in droves), which in any case only cost money, doing nothing, lowering social standards through wage dumping, importing crime and causing the fall of the West”. The mechanisms are therefore unchanged, only the “target group” has changed. The Ossis benefited back then that the private use of the Internet was still in its infancy, so that the mobilization of like-minded people still had to be done by phone calls and not by postings in a Facebook group, so that the riots were limited. If todays state-of-the-art technology had been available during the reunification, West Germans would have beaten up or killed East Germans and set fire to their emergency shelters, as they do today jointly with refugees and their shelters (The New York Times, 29 August 2019: 30 Years After Reunification, Germany Is Still Two Countries, DW, 3 October 2019: Opinion: German unification — time for the next generation to step up, DW, 3 October 2019: German Unity Day: Reunification is ‘ongoing process’ says Merkel, Reuters, 3 October 2019: Merkel warns against racism on anniversary of German reunification, The Guardian, 30 October 2019: Democracy is under attack in post-Wall Europe – but the spirit of 1989 is fighting back, France24, 6 November 2019: Thirty years after its fall, part of the Berlin Wall still stands, The Guardian, 6 November 2019: The fall of the Berlin Wall did not end Germany’s deep divisions, Jerusalem Post, 7 November 2019: Anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall poses fresh challenges for German Jews, France24, 6 November 2019: The post-Wall, Cold War world of Hans Modrow, East Germany’s last leader, France24, 7 November 2019: The last East German, The New York Times, 8 November 2019: After the Fall: Looking Back on Berlin 30 Years Later, DW, 8 November 2019: Ronald Reagan statue unveiled in Berlin near site of Cold War speech (Tear down this wall!), The New York Times, 8 November 2019: President Reagan Returns to Berlin, This Time in Bronze, The New York Times, 8 November 2019: Germany Has Been Unified for 30 Years. Its Identity Still Is Not., CNN, 9 November 2019: Germany marks 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, France24, 9 November 2019: The fall of the Berlin Wall, 30 years on, CNN, 9 November 2019: The Berlin Wall fell 30 years ago. But an invisible barrier still divides Germany (Whether or not reunification is a “stroke of luck of history”, a two-state solution or an interim solution would have been the better choice is still being debated in Germany today. After all, the GDR, like all other states of the EU’s eastern enlargement, would have become a NATO and EU member state. The real stroke of luck was that the Soviet Union ruined itself and consequently decayed, because only then the people of the former Eastern bloc were given the freedoms to decide in which directions their countries shall be developed. The overwhelming majority opted against dictatorship and for freedom and democracy, although this has since become ignored in Poland and Hungary by the country’s rulers and even partially reversed), France24, 9 November 2019: Stories from East and West, 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Politico.eu, 9 November 2019: 30 years after Wall’s fall, Europe’s new divisions, CNN, 9 November 2019: East German kids were ‘taught to lie.’ Then the system came crashing down overnight, Al Jazeera, 9 November 2019: On Berlin Wall anniversary, Merkel urges Europe to defend freedom, Arab News, 9 November 2019: From ruin to reigning Europe — how the Berlin Wall transformed Germany, Gulf Times, 9 November 2019: Germany celebrates 30th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall, Jerusalem Post, 9 November 2019: Germany celebrates 30th anniversary of Berlin Wall’s fall, Times of Israel, 9 November 2019: On Berlin Wall anniversary, Merkel urges Europe to defend ‘democracy, freedom’, France24, 9 November 2019: Germany urges US to reject ‘egoism’ on anniversary of Berlin Wall’s fall, The Guardian, 10 November 2019: In place of Berlin’s Wall now stands a barrier of sullen resentment, France24, 15 November 2019: Thirty years later, spirit of 1989 lives on in eastern German city of Leipzig, Economy of East Germany).

Globalization, consumption and capitalism
Other varieties of xenophobia may be globalization criticism, consumerism criticism or capitalism criticism. Without going into detail here, the futility can be illustrated with a very simple example: Imagine a menu consisting of a hamburger, a portion of french fries and a cola. Now you think away globalization, consumption and capitalism. From the above menu, there is little more than a puddle of water left, because the other ingredients were not originally from Western Europe or the US, but were imported from other continents – including glass. You don’t believe it? Then let’s take a look at the ingredients:

Hamburger:
Sesame on the burger bun: India
Cereals: Middle East
Cattle: Anatolia and Middle East
Salt: Mesopotamia and Babylon
Pepper: Southwest India
Tomatoes: Central and South America
Onions: Central Asia
Ketchup: East and Southeast Asia
Lettuce: Egypt
Cheese: Mesopotamia, Black Sea region, Asia Minor, Egypt and North Africa

French fries:
Potatoes: From the Andes from western Venezuela to Argentina
Salt: Mesopotamia and Babylon
Peppers: Central and South America
Paper plate: Egypt
Plastic chip fork: Malaysia and Brazil

Cola:
Sugar: Melanesia and Polynesia in the Pacific
Caffeine: Yemen
Glass: Mesopotamia

Anti-Islam, anti-Muslim and Islamophobia
In unpleasant regularity, the discussion of whether Islam and Muslims belong to Europe or not is as simple-minded as it is oblivious to history. After all, it was the Moors who, among other things, brought science (mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, cartography, geography and medicine – enriched with knowledge of ancient China (Zheng He), Ancient Egypt (Islamic Golden Age) and Ancient Greece) to Al-Andalus (Portugal and parts of Spain. After the Reconquista, celebrated as a success, however, the millionfold enslavement of Europeans by corsairs from the Barbary States began, mostly from raids on the coastal regions of Italy, Spain and Portugal, but also in the Atlantic, around Cornwall). This knowledge spread from there to central and northern Europe and thus made it possible for Europe to develop democratic and industrial nations (today’s general tax liability goes back to the Islamic tax system (Tithe) as well, which was initially used in Europe to finance the Crusades and was then further expanded). The fact that the Arab countries themselves couldn’t benefit to the same extent and, on the contrary, have even been scientifically and technologically left behind is also given due to the strict interpretation of Islam and the tragedy of the Arabs. Muslims (Moors) have been part of Europe for centuries, and thus of course their religion. Today it is uncontroversial for the majority that the European Islam should emancipate itself from the political Islam of Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to be perceived and accepted as a community of faith. The corresponding efforts have been stuck for years and noticeable burden the living together. More recently, the umbrella organization Ditib has been targeted by the German constitutional protection agencies due to its inordinate proximity to the Turkish autocrat Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AKP positions (The Guardian, 01 December 2018: Muslims demand full legal protection from Islamophobia, The Guardian, 7 December 2018: Revealed: the hidden global network behind Tommy Robinson, The Guardian, 3 March 2019: Ukip 2.0: young, angry, digital and extreme, The New York Times, 15 March 2019: New Zealand Massacre Highlights Global Reach of White Extremism, Times of Israel, 16 March 2019: Rights group calls on AG to probe online praise for New Zealand killer, Times of Israel, 16 March 2019: White nationalist movement spreads worldwide, pushing lone-wolf attacks, The Guardian, 17 March 2019: Australian senator Fraser Anning punches teen after being egged, The Guardian, 24 March 2019: Sadiq Khan challenges Theresa May to act against Tory Islamophobia, El Pais, 26 March 2019: Spain’s National Security Council warns xenophobia is on the rise, France24, 29 March 2019: Thousands gather for NZ attack remembrance service, InterNations.org: Discrimination and Racism in China, Racism in Asia, The Washington Post, 13 April 2019: ‘The president today made America smaller’: Democratic candidates react to Trump’s attack on Rep. Omar, The Guardian, 14 April 2019: Ilhan Omar has become the target of a dangerous hate campaign, The Guardian, 17.06.2019: The EU’s Islamophobia is getting worse – Britain must fight this from within, Times of Israel, 7 July 2019: Right-wing group hangs Palestinian flags on West Bank roads, spooking settlers, Palestine Chronicle, 7 July 2019: Jewish Settlers Vandalize Palestinian Vehicles near Nablus, Haaretz, 10 July 2019: Israel Evicts Palestinian Family From East Jerusalem Home, Handing It to Settlers, Haaretz, 12 July 2019: Israel’s Concealing of Documents on the Nakba Is Totalitarian, Palestine Chronicle, 13 July 2019: UN Special Rapporteur: Israel ‘Moving Rapidly’ towards West Bank Annexation, The Guardian, 15 July 2019: Boris Johnson claimed Islam put Muslim world ‘centuries behind’, Haaretz, 15 July 2019: By Providing Face-recognition Software, Israeli High-tech Is on the Wrong Side of Justice, CNN, 16 July 2019: Boris Johnson faces more accusations of Islamophobia over newly-unearthed text, The Guardian, 19 July 2019: Israeli spraying of herbicide near Gaza harming Palestinian crops, CNN, 19 July 2019: Angela Merkel stands in ‘solidarity’ with congresswomen attacked by Trump, France24. 22 July 2019: Israel demolishes Palestinian homes on Jerusalem outskirts, BBC, 22 July 2019: Israel razes Palestinian homes ‘built too near barrier’, The Guardian, 22 July 2019: Israeli crews demolish Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, Palestine Chronicle, 22 July 2019: Israeli Top Court: Settlers Can Occupy Palestinians’ Homes in Hebron (VIDEO) (Price tag policy, Jewish Defense League), Al Jazeera, 22 July 2019: Israel demolishes Palestinian homes near separation wall, Times of Israel, 22 July 2019: Palestinians blast ‘massacre’ as Israel razes homes near security barrier, Palestine Chronicle, 22 July 2019: Palestinian FM: Israel’s Demolition of 100 Homes in Jerusalem Is ‘War Crime’, Saudi Gazette, 22 July 2019: EU urges Israel to ‘immediately’ stop Palestinian home demolition, Times of Israel, 22 July 2019: Bahrain, Jordan, France among those condemning Jerusalem area demolitions, Haaretz, 22 July 2019: At Least 16 Israeli Unauthorized West Bank Outposts Established Since 2017, Times of Israel, 23 July 2019: Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes, The National, 23 July 2019: UK appoints expert to tackle Islamophobia, DW, 10 August 2019: Norway: One injured in shooting at Oslo mosque, Times of Israel, 10 August 2019: One person hurt in Norway mosque shooting, suspect arrested, The National, 10 August 2019: Norway mosque shooting: One person injured and another in custody in Oslo, Times of Israel: 11 August 2019: Relative of Norway mosque shooter found dead after attack, The New York Times, 21 September 2019: A Crackdown on Islam Is Spreading Across China, Al Jazeera, 29 September 2019: ‘Large increase in anti-Bosnian, anti-Muslim bigotry’: Report, The National, 6 October 2019: Anti-Muslim extremist group plans to host Dh5,510-a-plate gala dinner at Trump’s Florida resort , Times of Israel, 7 October 2019: Police minister called racist after blaming Arab culture for violence, Times of Israel, 16 October 2019: Settlers accused of beating rabbi, 80, who was aiding Palestinian olive harvest, Times of Israel, 19 October 2019: Masked settlers filmed hurling rocks, stealing olives of Palestinian farmers, Jerusalem Post, 20 October 2019: Settlers attack Golani Reconnaissance Unit commander in Yitzhar, Israel Hayom, 20 October 2019: Netanyahu condemns settler violence after IDF soldier injured, Times of Israel, 20 October 2019: Attack on troops draws fresh scrutiny of army’s response to Yitzhar violence, Haaretz, 20 October 2019: Denounce and Forget: Don’t Be Too Impressed by Israel’s Condemnation of Settler Violence, Times of Israel, 23 October 2019: In 2nd attack in less than 48 hours, settlers throw rocks at troops near Yitzhar, Haaretz, 23 October 2019: Violent Jewish Settlers Won’t Be Easily Deterred — Even With Increased Israeli Security Presence, Times of Israel, 25 October 2019: For 2nd time in 3 days, Palestinian town targeted in apparent hate crime, Haaretz, 25 October 2019: Israel Is Turning an Ancient Palestinian Village Into a National Park for Settlers, Haaretz, 26 October 2019: How Israel Is Deterred by a Handful of Violent Jewish Settlers, Al Jazeera, 6 November 2019: Islamophobia is on the rise in France, Haaretz, 9 November 2019: On Kristallnacht Anniversary, New York Jews Show Up to Support Muslim Worshippers, France24, 10 November 2019: Thousands march against Islamophobia in Paris, The Guardian, 11 November 2019: When it comes to Islamophobia, Tory eyes are still wide shut, The New York Times, 16 November 2019: ‘Absolutely No Mercy’: Leaked Files Expose How China Organized Mass Detentions of Muslims, The Guardian, 17 November 2019: ‘Show no mercy’: leaked documents reveal details of China’s Xinjiang detentions, The National, 5 December 2019: German Muslim politician takes the fight to Nazi group following racist death threats, Haaetz, 9 December 2019: ‘Arabs = Enemies’: 160 Cars Vandalized in East Jerusalem Neighborhood, Times of Israel, 9 December 2019: 160 vehicles vandalized, wall graffitied in suspected East Jerusalem hate crime, Gulf Times, 9 December 2019: 160 Palestinian cars vandalised, Politico.eu, 17 December 2019: Wanted: Imams made in Germany). It is all the more important for those Muslims, who oppose the Ditib (Wikipedia Central Council of Muslims in Germany), to offer appropriate state support measures to help them to further develop the European Islam (e.g. Imam education in Germany, while excluding the Turkish, Qatari and Saudi Islam authorities), Arab News, 29 December 2019: Lana Lokteff: Poster girl of white supremacy, The Guardian, 5 January 2020: Under Boris Johnson, Islamophobia will reach a sinister new level, Palestine Chronicle, 8 January 2020: Jewish Settlers Chop down 50 Olive Trees near Nablus, Times of Israel, 13 January 2020: Stone throwing that killed Palestinian mother of 8 recognized as terror attack, Haaretz, 14 January 2020: ADL Slams Trump for Islamophobia After Retweeting Fake Image of Pelosi in Hijab, Times of Israel, 24 January 2020: Arson, graffiti attack on Jerusalem mosque in suspected hate crime, Jerusalem Post, 24 January 2020: Suspected price tag attack at Jerusalem mosque, Arab News, 26 January 2020: Tensions run high in Jerusalem as mosques and Muslims targeted, Palestine Chronicle, 28 January 2020: Jewish Settlers Burn down Palestinian Classroom near Nablus, Arab News, 11 February 2020: Vandals damage dozens of cars in Arab village in Israel, The Guardian, 17 February 2020: Germany’s Muslims call for protection after ‘far-right terror plot’ arrests, Arab News, 17 February 2020: Norway mosque shooter charged with murder, terrorism, Times of Israel, 17 February 2020: Suspect in Norway mosque attack charged with terrorism, murder, France24, 19 February 2020: Macron unveils curbs on foreign imams in France to combat ‘separatism’, BBC, 19 February 2020: German far-right AfD accused of handing out ‘racist’ colouring book, The National, 20 February 2020: Germany shootings: Mass killer infected with ‘poison’ of racism, Al Jazeera, 21 February 2020: Hanau mourns its loved ones murdered in far-right attack, Arab News, 21 February 2020: Germany races to act on far-right threat after deadly shootings, The Guardian, 22 February 2020: ‘Who is there to protect us?’ Far-right murders in Hanau spark anger and fear, Al Jazeera, 22 February 2020: Muslims in Germany call for action against far-right groups, Gulf Times, 22 February 2020: Germany ups police presence after shootings, The Guardian, 22 February 2020: On Hanau’s streets, shocked migrants fear causes of the attack run deep, France24, 26 February 2020: Palestinian property vandalised in suspected ‘price tag’ attack, Times of Israel, 26 February 2020: Tires slashed, West Bank village threatened with ‘war’ in apparent hate attack, The Guardian, 7 March 2020: Brutalised but defiant: Christchurch massacre survivors one year on, The Guardian, 10 March 2020: The Christchurch attack traumatised us, but we are determined to be happy, Arab News, 13 March 2020: Ardern says racist threat lingers after New Zealand mosque attacks, The National, 13 March 2020: Mosque shootings changed New Zealand society, PM Jacinda Ardern says, The Guardian, 28 March 2020: From Xinjiang to Germany: how did Islamophobia become a global phenomenon?, Haaretz, 5 April 2020: Palestinian Street Cleaners Assaulted in Jerusalem in Unprovoked Attack.

156-Manifestations_EN

199-Synthesis-report_en

EIR_2017

Anti-Judaism, anti-Israeli, anti-Zionism and Antisemitism
Here is another aspect that has been cultivated since the Middle Ages in Europe: Jew-hatred, which was exported to the Middle East by the Crusades. Without going further into the single aspects of European anti-Semitism, it is simply false to assert that the “new anti-Semitism” would be fueled by immigration, because it is a re-import only. In Europe, anti-Semitism, even after the Holocaust, was never gone, but “rested” in order to regroup in the past few years and to cowardly hide behind alleged “import anti-Semitism” from the Arab states. The greatest threat to European Jews continues to come from European anti-Semitic right-wing extremists (over 90% of all anti-Semitic offenses – Haaretz, 20 November 2018: Most European Jewish Leaders Expect to Face More anti-Semitism, New Survey Finds). The discussions about it are often diffuse here because they are not clearly identified, named or obfuscated – presumably so as not to scare away any voters. Just as European Jews can’t vote in Israel, like European Christians or European Muslims can’t vote in Israel either. By contrast, Israeli Jews, Christians and Muslims can – mostly (on the contrary, in the wake of the 2019 European Parliament election, the approximately 500,000 European Jews living in Israel are called on to participate actively in this process, supporting candidates and political parties working for Israel’s goals within the EU. After Netanyahu’s failed attempt to establish Israel as a potential EU member state, this is apparently an attempt to “have a say in the EU through the back door,” given the normally low voter turnouts during the European elections – Times of Israel, 14 February 2019: Israelis, vote! In the European elections). So it’s about definitions and affiliations. From a international point of view, it is often too understandable when the policy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is been seen as repugnant (which doesn’t even contradict the so-called German raison d’État – The Washington Post, 17 February 2019: The Democrats have an Israel problem – and it’s not Ilhan Omar). This is also the case for a large proportion of European Jews. How can it be, that there still is a growing number of people who try to blame them for it anyway? Even though the Netanyahu government claims that Israel would be the “home of all Jews” (which is legally limited anyway), large parts of the diaspora oppose this view, who are very fond of their home countries. There are a number of “anti-Semitism definitions”. The currently most recognized is this: HolocaustRemembrance.com – Working Definition of Antisemitism. When having a closer look at it, the result is that it’s about proportionality and against the “three Ds” (delegitimisation of Israel, demonisation of Israel and double standards for Israel, while the term “double standards” is somehow special: If Jews from the US or the EU were to ask: “Do you believe that people in the societies they are living in should not be discriminated against because of their ethnicity or religious affiliation and that all people should have equal access to all fundamental rights?” certainly almost all will reply “Yes!” If the same persons would be asked this question in relation to Israel, the majority would answer “Equal rights for all? Are you an enemy of Israel? Do you want to erase the country from the map?”). One can, shall and should criticize Israel and Jews to the same extent as one would criticize everyone else. What goes beyond that can be anti-Semitism (a sarcastic assessment of the topic from Israel: “An anti-Semite used to be someone who disliked Jews. Today, an anti-Semite is someone the Israelis dislike.”). For example, if you would put Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in line with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Poland’s Jarosław Kaczyński, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, because they would be politically dubious figures, then this wouldn’t be anti-Semitic, but very well justified criticism and even very accurate. If Netanyahu were put there just because he was a Jew, that would be anti-Semitism. The Federal Government recently appointed Dr. Felix Klein as “Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany” or shortened as “Anti-Semitism Commissioner”, whose tasks, however, are so far only vaguely defined. That anti-Semitism can’t be whitewashed is shown by the fact that many Jewish institutions in Germany, the EU and since the election of Donald Trump on 8 November 2016 even in the USA (The Economist, 3 January 2008: Germany’s Jews: Latkes and vodka, Der Spiegel, 4 January 2012: ‘We Can Resume Our Common History’: New Paper Covers Revival of German Jewish Life, deutschland.de, 24 January 2013: Jewish Life in Germany, Der Tagesspiegel, 28 May 2014: Berlin, it’s time to talk about the policing of your Jewish sites, The Guardian, 7 August 2014: Antisemitism on rise across Europe ‘in worst times since the Nazis’, The Atlantic, 15 August 2017: Why the Charlottesville Marchers Were Obsessed With Jews, Charlottesville riots, adl.org, 2 November 2017: ADL Data Shows Anti-Semitic Incidents Continue Surge in 2017 Compared to 2016, Jerusalem Post, 5 July 2018: Jews of Turkey fear growing antisemitism, Der Spiegel, 26 July 2018: ‘Our Antennae Are Up’ – Rise in Anti-Semitism Unsettles Gemany’s Jews, CNN, 27 October 2018: Shooter identified in deadly shooting at Pittsburgh synagogue, The New York Times, 27 October 2018: Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting: At Least 11 Dead and Gunman Identified, The Guardian, 27 October 2018: Pittsburgh shooting: suspect railed against Jews and Muslims on site used by ‘alt-right’, HIAS, The New York Times, 27 October 2018: 11 Killed in Pittsburgh Massacre; Suspect Charged With 29 Counts, The Washington Post, 27 October 2018: For American Jews, Pittsburgh synagogue massacre is culmination of worst fears, The Guardian, 28 October 2018: The ADL warned of antisemitic harassment. Then Pittsburgh happened, The New York Times, 29 October 2018: ‘There Is Still So Much Evil’: Growing Anti-Semitism Stuns American Jews, Haaretz, 29 October 2018: From Pittsburgh to Paris, Five Lessons for Jews Everywhere, Haaretz, 29 October 2018: Pittsburgh Massacre Underscores the Dilemma of American Jews, The Guardian, 2 November 2018: New York police investigate antisemitic graffiti inside Brooklyn synagogue and The New York Times, 17 November 2018: Are Jared and Ivanka Good for the Jews?) still have to be placed under police protection in order to prevent attacks (Der Spiegel, 31 August 2018: Return of the Ugly German? The Riots in Chemnitz and Their Aftermath, Times of Israel, 24 September 2017: Loathed by Jews, Germany’s far-right AfD loves the Jewish state, DW, 25 September 2018: AfD’s Jews say German far-right party isn’t anti-Semitic, The New York Times, 26 September 2018: Seeing Ally Against Muslims, Some German Jews Embrace Far Right, to Dismay of Others, Financial Times, 5 October 2018: The Jews who are signing up to Germany’s far-right AfD , NPR, 5 October 2018: Germany’s Right-Wing AfD Is Accused Of Exploiting Jewish Members, Der Spiegel, 5 October 2018: Growing Anti-Semitism in Germany ‘We Are Facing a Monster’, Reuters, 26 October 2017: Jewish leader urges Italian sports authorities to fight anti-Semitism, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 31 December 2017: Jewish life in Germany in danger, Jewish leader says, The Guardian, 1 February 2018: Antisemitic incidents in UK at all-time high, The Atlantic, 22 February 2018: Secretive Fraternities Are Feeding Anti-Semitism in Austria, Bloomberg, 27 February 2018: Why Polish Jews Are Growing Uneasy, The Guardian, 27 February 2018: Antisemitic incidents in US soar to highest level in two decades, NPR, 3 May 2018: Alarm Grows In France Over Anti-Semitic Violence, New Statesman, 23 May 2018: Germany reclaimed: Berlin’s Jewish revival, Haaretz, 20 June 2018: Denmark’s Jews Questioning Their Future in the Country Following Proposed Ban on Circumcision, The Jerusalem Post, 29 July 2018: Hungary’s Victor Orban fosters antisemitism – Hungarian antisemitism is the highest in Europe, Handelsblatt, 21 August 2018: Why is anti-Semitism returning to Germany?, The Atlantic, 9 November 2018: The Day of Fate, The Guardian, 22 November 2018: US-Israeli man jailed for 10 years over bomb hoax calls, CNN, November 2018: CNN poll reveals depth of anti-Semitism in Europe, BBC, 26 November 2018: Soros foundation to end work in Turkey amid ‘baseless claims’, The New York Times, 29 November 2018: Europe’s Jew Hatred, and Ours, Jerusalem Post, 29 November 2018: Happy Zionism Day!, The New York Times, 7 December 2018: Anti-Zionism Isn’t the Same as Anti-Semitism, France24, 10 December 2018: EU alarmed at study showing anti-Semitism worsening, Haaretz, 12 December 2018: The Secret Jewish Plot Against Turkey, Financial Times, 14 December 2018: Holocaust survivor Charlotte Knobloch on the rise of anti-Semitism and rebuilding Jewish life, Foreign Policy, 24 December 2018: Erdogan’s Anti-Semitism Will Sink Turkey’s Economy (History of the Jews in Turkey and Antisemitism in Turkey), dpa international, 27 December 2018: Discretion advised: Jewish life in eastern German cities, New York Post, 5 January 2019: Why American Jews are moving to Germany, Times of Israel: Anti-Semitism in Turkey, DW, 21 January 2019: How safe are Jews living in Germany?, Times of Israel, 23 January 2019: German far-right lawmakers walk out of speech by Holocaust survivor, Der Spiegel, 23 January 2019: German Right-Wing Populists: Domestic Intelligence Report Highlights AfD Extremism, Times of Israel, 24 January 2019: I’m Jewish, American and happy to live in Berlin, Times of Israel, 24 January 2019: German Jewish leader ‘threatened’ after criticizing far-right AfD, The New York Times, 25 April 2019: In Berlin, a Show of Solidarity Does Little to Dampen Jewish Fears, Times of Israel, 25 January 2019: Buchenwald memorial bans German far-right AfD from Holocaust ceremony, The Guardian, 27 January 2019: One in 20 Britons does not believe Holocaust took place, poll finds, Jerusalem Post, 27 January 2019: Greek Church charged by Israel with inflaming Antisemitism, Haaretz, 27 January 2019: Polish Nationalists March on Auschwitz to Protest ‘Non-inclusive’ International Holocaust Day, The New York Times, 27 January 2019: On the Way to Auschwitz, I Found ‘Heil Hitler’ Signs For Sale, The Washington Post, 27 January 2019: Remembering the Holocaust in an era of rising anti-Semitism, Times of Israel, 27 January 2019: Netanyahu downplays right-wing anti-Semitism, contradicting Israeli study, Jerusalem Post, 27 January 2019: Far-right Antisemitism biggest threat to Jews worldwide: Report, Haaretz, 27 January 2019: Germany ‘Must Tell Stories’ of Holocaust Victims to Combat anti-Semitism, Merkel Says, France24, 27 January 2019: Anti-Semitic killings in 2018 ‘highest’ in decades: Israel, The Guardian, 7 February 2019: Antisemitic incidents in UK at record high for third year in a row, CNN, 7 February 2019: Reported anti-Semitic incidents hit record high in UK, Times of Israel, 13 February 2019: Germany anti-Semitic offenses rise sharply in 2018, mostly from far-right, France24, 20 February 2019: Bill equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism sparks debate in France, Times of Israel, 22 February 2019: The new ‘new anti-Semitism’ in Western Europe feels eerily familiar, The New York Times, 22 February 2019: The Grave Threats of White Supremacy and Far-Right Extremism, The Guardian, 24 February 2019: Antisemites use the language of anti-Zionism. The two are distinct, The Guardian, 3 March 2019: The neo-Nazi plot against America is much bigger than we realize, Times of Israel, 4 March 2019: Polish anti-Semitism festers on the internet, The Guardian, 7 March 2019: Debunking the myth that anti-Zionism is antisemitic, Washington Examiner, 15 March 2019: Jews are unsafe in Turkey and should leave now, France24, 22 March 2019: Erdogan urges fight on Islamophobia ‘like anti-Semitism after Holocaust’, Al JAzeera, 22 March 2019: Erdogan calls for fight against Islamophobia like anti-Semitism, Jerusalem Post, 3 April 2019: Jews say Lithuania’s Genocide Studies Center engages in Holocaust denial, The New York Times, 4 April 2019: Anti-Semitism Is Back, From the Left, Right and Islamist Extremes. Why?, The New York Times, 15 April 2019: Has Germany Forgotten the Lessons of the Nazis?, The New York Times, 25 April 2019: In Berlin, a Show of Solidarity Does Little to Dampen Jewish Fears, The New York Times, 30 April 2019: A Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism, The Guardian, 1 May 2019: Antisemitism ‘calling into question future of Jewish life in Europe’, Jerusalem Post, 3 May 2019: Why aren’t diaspora Jews safe yet?, The Guardian, 3 May 2019: It’s hard for us on the Israeli left – liberal antisemitism makes it worse, Jerusalem Post, 4 May 2019: Massive 82% spike in antisemitic hate crimes in New York City, NYPD finds, The Guardian, 9 May 2019: Nazi rhetoric and Holocaust denial: Belgium’s alarming rise in antisemitism, Times of Israel, 12 May 2019: Polish far-right marches in protest at US pressure for Holocaust restitution, Times of Israel, 13 May 2019: Poland cancels Israeli officials’ trip over Holocaust property restitution row, The Washington Post, 13 May 2019: How some Polish far-right nationalists went from setting their hopes on Trump to rallying against him, The New York Times, 14 May 2019: A Friend to Israel, and to Bigots: Viktor Orban’s ‘Double Game’ on Anti-Semitism, Haaretz, 18 May 2019: A Daughter of Palestinian Refugees, This German Politician Is Fighting anti-Semitism, Haaretz, 19 May 2019: Returning Property to Jews Would Be a Victory for Hitler, Polish Prime Minister Says, Times of Israel, 20 May 2019: WJC chief slams Polish PM: “Poles profiteered from Jewish assets for decades”, The New York Times, 21 May 2019: The New German Anti-Semitism, Jerusalem Post, 22 May 2019: Swedish Prime Minister denounces neo-Nazis, promises protection for Jews, Jerusalem Post, 22 May 2019: 6 former U.S. envoys in ‘Post’ op-ed: Romanian antisemitism on the rise, Times of Israel, 23 May 2019: Fascist symbols and rhetoric on rise in Italian EU vote, Jerusalem Post, 24 May 2019: German party runs for EU parliament under slogan ‘Israel is our misfortune’, Times of Israel, 24 May 2019: Sweden to host international conference against anti-Semitism, Jerusalem Post, 24 May 2019: What is antisemitism?, The Guardian, 26 may 2019: Jews in Germany warned of risks of wearing kippah cap in public, Times of Israel, 26 May 2019: Years after neo-Nazi group was shuttered, hate on the rise again in US northwest, Haaretz, 26 May 2019: Rivlin Rebukes Germany’s ‘Surrender to anti-Semitism’ in Skullcap Warning, Politico.eu, 26 May 2019: Israeli president ‘shocked’ by kippah warning in Germany, The New York Times, 26 May 2019: Amid Rising Anti-Semitism, German Official Advises Jews Against Wearing Skullcaps in Public, Times of Israel, 28 May 2019: Anti-Semitism czar asks Germans to wear kippa publicly in solidarity with Jews (the antisemitic International Quds Day, for which, in return, the Jerusalem Day is celebrated by islamophobic extremists in occupied East Jerusalem), Jerusalem Post, 28 May 2019: German neo-Nazi parties aggressively push boycott of Israel, BBC, 28 May 2019: A guide to Labour Party anti-Semitism claims, Jerusalem Post, 29 May 2019: Muslims, Catholics, activists team up to protect Holocaust exhibit in Vienna, DW, 29 May 2019: Opinion: Is the only safe Jew in Germany an invisible one?, Jewish Journal, 30 May 2019: In Germany, a bigger problem than the kippah, The Guardian, 31 May 2019: All Germans urged to wear kippah in protest against antisemitism, Haaretz, 1 June 2019: Far Right Parties in Austria and Germany Are Making anti-Semitism Acceptable Again, Times of Israel, 1 June 2019: Hundreds of anti-Israel protesters, counter-protesters face in Berlin, Jerusalem Post, 1 June 2019: New York hate crimes nearly doubled in 2019, almost two-third are antisemitic, Jerusalem Post, 1 June 2019: The Nethwerlands makes fighting antisemitism a national priority, The Guardian, 2 June 2019: German Jews fear kippah solidarity is just a PR stunt (how difficult, complicated and complex the situation is is also shown here again: instead of focusing on Jewish life in Germany (or other states of the EU and the USA), as it is e.g. the task of the Federal Commissioner Dr. Felix Klein, even by officials from Jewish associations, direct links between the topics “anti-Semitism in Germany” and “Israel” are created. This is not totally wrong, but certainly not helpful. Of course, the result can only be a failure. In fact, it must first and foremost be about firmly embeding Jewish communities and their members in Germany (or other states of the EU and the USA) and, first of all, focusing exclusively on this one topic (and at the same time stop fooling around with nonsense about a “Christian-Jewish tradition,” because on closer examination of Western European history since the Middle Ages, then the only observable tradition is that Christians regularly go bust with Jews, with prohibitions on work and residence, having robbed, expropriated, expelled, forced to convert, or even killed them on a regular basis. Hardly to assume that politics and the public mean this with “Christian-Jewish tradition”. If it does, then it would be at least honest. Equally honestly, it should then be pointed out that the alleged “Christian-Jewish tradition” is above all a delimitation/exclusion of Muslims in order to play out one minority against another). Only when in Germany (or other states of the EU and the USA) no Jewish institutions have to be put under police protection, other topics, such as Israel, can be mixed in. However, as long as it is not even possible for the officials of the Jewish associations to manage the unbundling of the complex of topics, much less will be achieved elsewhere in society. Ultimately, it is completely irrelevant how the own point of view in relation to Israel, Palestine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the Middle East conflict in total is, when it comes to the security and protection of living and practicing Jews in Germany (and of all other religious groups of which in Germany, after all, there are considerable 180). This is largely about the enforcement of fundamental rights in Germany (or other states of the EU and the USA) and not the deeply ideological and charged with hatred and terror on all sides conflicts in the Levant, the Middle East or North Africa. The latter can be carried out where they happen to be. They have no place on European or American roads anyway. Solutions to the conflicts, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, must be negotiated and found between the parties to the conflicts on site), Times of Israel, 4 June 2019: Volkswagen funds ADL office in Germany for combating anti-Semitism in Europe, Jerusalem Post, 12 June 2019: Jexit: Could 300,000 Jew flee the UK?, Times of Israel, 15 June 2019: US Senate unanimously condemns anti-Semitism, Times of Israel, 15 June 2019: Germany is accused of downplaying anti-Semitic attacks by Muslims, Times of Israel, 15 June 2019: Israeli families struggle as their kids move back to Germany and Austria, Jerusalem Post, 15 June 2019: Destroyed and dispersed: How Russia ruined Jewish life in eastern Ukraine, Jerusalem Post, 19 June 2019: U.S. antisemitism envoy: Armed guards needed at synagougues, Jewish centers, Jerusalem Post, 19 June 2019: Today’s antisemitism: A three-headed monster, Times of Israel, 19 June 2019: American Jewish tourist hurt in anti-Semitic Berlin attack, Times of Israel, 19 June 2019: US interfaith leaders gather to beef up security for houses of worship, Times of Israel, 19 June 2019: Jewish woman hit in head with metal ball outside of Paris synagogue, Times of Israel, 21 June 2019: Metal ball that hit Paris woman dropped by child, not anti-Semitic attack, Times of Israel, 21 June 2019: Rabbi and Jewish leader spit on outside Hamburg City Hall, Times of Israel, 21 June 2019: The EU’s ‘indefatigable heroine’ in the fight against anti-Semitism, Jerusalem Post, 22 June 2019: ‘Imam of Peace’: Antisemitism in the U.S. is a ‘threat to national security’, Jerusalem Post, 22 June 2019: European Comission holds first-ever working group on Antisemitism, Jerusalem Post, 23 June 2019: WJC: Croatian Holocaust Monument ‘distortion’ of history, Times of Israel, 3 July 2019: Synagogues are now conducting active shooter drills during services, BBC, 4 July 2019: The students fighting back against anti-Semitism, The Guardian, 7 July 2019: Labour split over NDA warnings about antisemitism claims, Jerusalem Post, 6 July 2019: Labour party’s top lawyer quits after contentious retweet by new member, Jerusalem Post, 6 July 2019: Iranian terroist force spying on Israelis and jews in Germany – intel, Jerusalem Post, 8 July 2019: U.K. far-right extremist sets himself on fire ae he attacks synagogue, BBC, 9 July 2019: Florida headteacher removed from post for refusing to call Holocaust a fact, Times of Israel, 10 July 2019: Anti-Semites target French Jewish school linked to cheating scandal, Haaretz, 10 July 2019: Jews Came to Israel ‘To Be Nazis,’ Dutch Member of Mainstream Party Says, Haaretz, 10 July 2019: Trump’s Soft Spot for anti-Semites Is Now a Big Problem for His Jewish Fans, Times of Israel, 11.07.2019: UK Labour in turmoil over new anti-Semitism claims in BBC expose, The Guardian, 11 July 2019: The BBC’s Panorama set out claims of antisemitism in the Labour party. Our panel responds, Jerusalem Post, 11 July 2019: Chief Rabbi: BBC documentary proves Labour Party’s complicity in antisemitism, The Guardian, 13 July 2019: Corbyn decries BBC’s ‘inaccuracies’ over Labour antisemitism, Times of Israel, 13 July 2019: New Greek minister denies ‘dark’ anti-Semitic past, Times of Israel, 14 JUly 2019: Senior Hamas official calls on members of Palestinian diaspora to kill Jews, Arab News, 15 July 2019: Hamas rebuffs leader’s call for worldwide attacks on Jews, Times of Israel, 15 July 2019: Hamas official walks back comments urging murder of ‘Jews everywhere’, Haaretz, 19 July 2019: 8,000 Romanian-born Israelis to Be Recognized as Holocaust Survivors, Receive Compensation, Times of Israel, 20 July 2019: Report: Nearly half of young European Jews victims of anti-Semitism in past year, Jerusalem Post, 22 July 2019: Israelis are ‘ignorant’ of world Jewery and its concerns – new survey, Jerusalem Post, 22 July 2019: UK Labour party launches new website to combat antisemitism, Times of Israel, 23 July 2019: Why Germany needs to pay attention to Jewish life, Times of Israel, 22 July 2019: Facing growing anger, Corbyn pushes speedy expulsion of anti-Semites from Labour, Times of Israel, 27 July 2019: New UK anti-Semitism adviser: Jews are the canary in the coal mine for humanity, Jerusalem Post, 27 July 2019: Spate of antisemitic incidents acrooss U.S. causes concern, Times of Israel, 28 July 2019: It can’t be anti-Semitism if you’re not an anti-Semite, right? Right?, Haaretz, 31 July 2019: Ocasio-Cortez on Israel: Criticizing the Occupation Doesn’t Make You anti-Semitic or anti-Israel, Times of Israel, 31 July 2019: 500 years after Inquisition, 10,000 Sephardi Jews close circle with citizenships, Times of Israel, 31 July 2019: After shooting, Florida Jews say they ‘no longer feel comfortable’ in synagogue, Jerusalem Post, 1 August 2019: AOC has a lot to say about Israel, antisemitism and Bernie Sanders, CNN, 1 August 2019: New report shows spike in British anti-Semitism, Times of Israel, 1 August 2019: UK anti-Semitic incidents hit a ‘record high,’ says watchdog group, Jerusalem Post, 1 August 2019: American Jews are asking: Is it safe to pray in synagogue? (it is undisputed that anti-Semitism in Europe and North America once again reaches painful highs. The fact that the activists see opponents in their struggle against anit-Semitism in those permanently tempered times when there are no enemies is shown by the example of issue 4/2019 of “Spiegel Geschichte” on “Jewish Life in Germany”. A very interesting and well-done review. The magazine was illustrated with two Eastern European Orthodox Jews, who came to Berlin by the thousands in the 1920s to escape the persecutions and pogroms in Eastern Europe. At the time, Berlin was THE hotspot of Jewish life in Europe, and Orthodox Jews could be found in the historic center of Berlin, around the Scheunenviertel, in large numbers. Therefore, the cover picture fits very well with the content of the magazine. Then, at national and international level, it was alleged that it was an anti-Semitic illustration. The critics apparently failed to adhere to an essential rule, namely to first buy and read the magazine before making allegations. It is certainly not wrong to complain once too much, than once too little. However, if one accuses others of ignorance, but then demonstratively show it yourself, that is not conducive to the cause (but it is also true that at the time there were quite a few secular Jews in Berlin, who were much less noticed in the cityscape) – Jerusalem Post, 3 August 2019: Jews, U.S. ambassador: German weekly magazine spreads Nazi propaganda, Times of Israel, 4 August 2019: German Jews accuse Der Spiegel of spreading anti-Semitic stereotypes), Times of Israel, 2 August 2019: Jewish cemetery vandalized in the Czech Republic, Times of Israel, 3 August 2019: As Holocaust memory fades, survivor asks German youth to be justice ‘upstanders’, Times of Israel, 4 August 2019: Graves, guilt and genius: Inside Lithuania’s struggle with its checkered past, Politico.eu, 4 August 2019: German far right moves ahead of Merkel’s conservatives in east: poll, Jerusalem Post, 6 August 2019: ‘Israelis living abroad are turning their back on the country’, Haaretz, 6 August 2019: Netanyahu Was Quick to Denounce Rival’s ‘anti-Semitism.’ Here Are 5 Times He Stayed Silent, Jerusalem Post, 7 August 2019: Five headlines show worldwide anti-Jewish incidents – analysis, Israel Hayom, 7 August 2019: Anti-Semitism under the guise of human rights, Jerusalem Post, 7 August 2019: State Department redefines antisemitism: Don’t compare Israel to the Nazis, Times of Israel, 7 August 2019: Polish government invites top rabbi to event honoring accused Nazi collaborators, Times of Israel, 8 August 2019: Lithuanian synagogue reopens after government vows to guarantee security, Jerusalem Post, 9 August 2019: Students from 80 campuses worldwide will attend CAMERA’s conference (Criticism of the Israeli government, The Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz and The Fateful Triangle by Noam Chomsky), Jerusalem Post, 10 January 2019: Accused neo-Nazi charged with planning attack on Las Vegas synagogue, Israel Hayom, 12 August 2019: Israel’s boycott of Alternative for Germany: the right thing to do? (interestingly enough, here is a apologist for far right-wing (like Netanyahu and his Likud), antisemetic, anti-Muslim (like Netanyahu and his Likud) and unconstitutional AfD – this time from Israel’s daily Israel Hayom, Netanyahu’s main advertisement agency), The Washington Post, 13 August 2019: The rise of anti-Semitism on the left, Jerusalem Post, 14 August 2019: UN ask Palestianians to explain hate speech, antisemitism, Jerusalem Post, 15 August 2019: Pro-Israel positions don’t excuse antisemitism in Amerika – opinion, Jerusalem Post, 18 August 2019: London Mayor supports Holocaust memorial plans, despite controversy, UK Holocaust Memorial, Israel Hayom, 20 August 2019: London’s mayor pressures to build Holocaust museum near Parliament, CNN, 20 August 2019: Jewish leaders outraged by Trump saying Jews disloyal if they vote for Democrats, The Guardian, 20 August 2019: Trump uses antisemitic trope to question loyalty of Jewish Democrats – live, Haaretz, 20 August 2019: Trump: Jews Voting Democrat Are Disloyal or Ignorant, Times of Israel, 20 August 2019: Jewish groups: Trump spreads anti-Semitic trope by accusing Jews of ‘disloyalty’, The Guardian, 21 August 2019: Jew-baiting is part of the Trump playbook. It’s a feature, not a bug, Haaretz, 21 August 2019: Trump’s Vile ‘Disloyalty’ Smear Refle, Al Jazeera, 21 August 2019: Jews tweet ‘disloyal to Trump’ after Trump calls them disloyal, Haaretz, 21 August 2019: Trump Has Made It Official: He Is the Greatest anti-Semite of Our Age, Times of Israel, 23 August 2019: Left-wing anti-Semitism has had British Jews debating loyalty for years, CNN, 21 August 2019: Trump adds Jews to his hit parade of hatred, Jerusalem Post, 25 August 2019: UK’s Jewish Labour movement exposes antisemitic attacks on social media, Times of Israel, 26 August 2019: German soccer team refuses to acknowledge fans over anti-Semitic, racist chants, France24, 26 August 2019: Israel: Why some ageing Holocaust survivors are living in poverty, Israel Hayom, 26 August 2019: European anti-Semitism, aliyah, and the uncertain future of French Jewry, Jerusalem Post, 31 August 2019: 2nd assault this week against Orthodox Jewish man reported in NYC, Haaretz, 4 September 2019: Four anti-Semitic Hate Crimes Committed in New York City This Week, Times of Israel, 4 September 2019: In Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn, a spate of assaults feels all too familiar, Jerusalem Post, 5 September 2019: U.S. ambassador to ‘Post’: Tehran mayor should be on US/EU sanctions list (World Association of the Major Metropolises (METROPOLIS) – funny, the lowest-profile US diplomat in Germany ever, Richard Grenell, is whining again. Than, Berlin’s mayor, Michael Müller, did the absolut right thing by inviting Tehran’s mayor Pirouz Hanachi. It might be okay for Netanyahu and Trump to burn down all diplomatic bridges to Western democracies and to built up strong relationships with white, xenophobic autocrats and dictators instead, as they seem to think, that to isolate their countries internationally is the way to go. This neither counts for the EU nor for Germany in particular. Just another reason why Germany is among the only 20 countries around the globe with the status “full democracy”, while Israel and the US aren’t. In view of the upcoming elections in Israel and the US, to keep the greatest possible distance to Netanyahu and Trump is recommended anyway, so as not to accidentally get dragged into the the two surrounding corruption swamps), Jerusalem Post, 7 September 2019: Dutch neo-Nazi group to protest “Zionist lobby’ outside Israeli embassy, Jerusalem Post, 7 September 2019: Entire street of houses vandalized with swastikas in California, Times of Israel, 8 September 2019: Israelis brutally beaten in Poland club, attackers said to scream ‘f**k Israel’, Jerusalem Post, 9 September 2019: Israeli tourist attacked in Berlin for speaking Hebrew, Jerusalem Post, 9 September 2019: Violent BDS activists assault Israeli Film festival attendees in Berlin, Jerusalem Post, 11 September 2019: In era of ‘gotcha journalism,’ charges of antisemitism are just a weapon, Jerusalem Post, 15 September 2019: 50 years since Poland expelled its Jews in state purge – what changed?, The Guardian, 16 September 2019: AfD politician threatens journalist after Hitler comparison (now imagine that this whiny jumping jack wants to become a “Führer”. Ridiculous, ludicrous and laughable at the same time), Israel Hayom, 18 September 2019: Report finds alarming spike in Israel-related anti-Semitism on US college campuses, Israel Hayom, 20 September 2019: Austria to grant citizenship to descendants of Nazi victims, Jerusalem Post, 21 September 2019: Call to destroy Israel at Islamist conference in Ankara, Times of Israel, 22 September 2019: As Putin cracks down on democracy, Russian Jews increasingly moving to Israel, Times of Israel, 24 September 2019: New UN report on combating anti-Semitism warns phenomenon ‘toxic’ to societies, Jerusalem Post, 26 September 2019: White supremacy a major domestic terror threat, DHS says, Times of Israel, 27 September 2019: Polish president blamed Israel for anti-Semitic incidents in country — report, Jerusalem Post, 28 Septmeber 2019: ‘Jews exploit Poles,’ report leads to massive online hate in Poland, Israel Hayom, 28 September 2019: The answer to rising anti-Semitism: Never again, Times of Israel, 29 September 2019: ‘Beware of parasites’: Anti-Semitic posters put up in Warsaw ahead of elections, Jerusalem Post, 29 September 2019: Israeli-Romanian Holocaust survivors to receive NIS 16 million, Jerusalem Post, 1 October 2019: More than 130,000 Sephardic Jews apply for Spanish citizenship by deadline, Jerusalem Post, 6 October 2019: Australian officials express concern over shocking antisemitism in schools, Times of Israel, 5 October 2019: Anti-Semitic hate crimes in NYC have risen significantly in 2019, Jerusalem Post, 6 October 2019: Robert Kraft names new Exec. Director of Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, Times of Israel, 8 October 2019: Canadian synagogue targeted with swastikas and anti-Jewish symbols, Israel Hayom, 8 October 2019: Ahead of Yom Kippur, NY Jewish leaders insist on increased security, Times of Israel, 8 October 2019: How Pittsburgh changed the way American Jews think about security, The Guardian, 9 October 2019: Germany shooting: ‘Rampage situation’ as two killed in city of Halle, BBC, 9 October 2019: Germany gun attacks: At least two killed in Halle shootings, Times of Israel, 9 October 2019: 2 shot dead, several injured as German synagogue targeted in Yom Kippur attack, Haaretz, 9 October 2019: Two Killed in Shooting Near German Synagogue, One Suspect Arrested, BBC, 9 October 2019: Germany shooting: Gunman kills two after attacking synagogue, Politico.eu, 9 October 2019: German officials decry ‘anti-Semitic’ shooting that killed 2 (homegrown terrorism), Haaretz, 9 October 2019: German Synagogue Shooting Makes Clear the Far Right Targets Jews and Muslims Alike, CNN, 10 October 2019: German synagogue gunman couldn’t break down the door. That saved lives, The New York Times, 10 October 2019: A Synagogue Attack Shocks Germany. But Why?, Times of Israel, 10 October 2019: Armed with guns and bombs, synagogue shooter planned ‘massacre’ — prosecutor, BBC, 10 October 2019: German synagogue shooting was far-right terror, justice minister says, Haaretz, 10 October 2019: Germany Synagogue Attack: Liberal Values Make Jews Everywhere Prime Target for White Supremacists, Times of Israel, 10 October 2019: As vigils held, Halle Jewish leader says he’s now ‘not sure Germany is our home’, Haaretz, 10 October 2019: A neo-Nazi Massacre of German Jews on Yom Kippur Was Averted – This Time, Jerusalem Post, 10 October 2019: Rivlin to German president: Act without ‘compromise’angainst antisemitism, Israel Hayom, 10 October 2019: Jewish, Israeli leaders condemn deadly Yom Kippur attack, Jerusalem Post, 10 October 2019: The UN Antisemitism report’s achievements and shortcomings, CNN, 11 October 2019: German synagogue shooter confesses, says motivated by anti-Semitic views, CNN, 11 October 2019: Halle survivor: Gun control saved my life, Haaretz, 12 October 2019: ‘We’re All Affected’: In Halle, Shocked Locals Rally Around Jewish Community, Times of Israel, 12 October 2019: ‘A shabbat of healing’: Halle’s resilient Jews return to pray, find solidarity, Times of Israel, 13 October 2019: For the German far-right, the ‘real problem’ is the Jews, Israel Hayom, 13 October 2019: Romania gives green light for Holocaust museum, Times of Israel, 13 October 2019: Starting where Nazis burned books, 10,000 march in Berlin against anti-Semitism, Der Spiegel, 15 October 2019: Never Again? The Halle Attack and Everyday Anti-Semitism in Germany (everybody has to show initiative within the scope of own possibilities, according to the motto:

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” – Edmund Burke

Antiziganism
Another topic is the relatively rarely publicity discussed Antiziganism (DW, 2 August 2019: 75 years ago: Nazis carry out mass murder of Sinti and Roma people in Auschwitz, Times of Israel, 2 August 2019: Long ignored, Roma genocide mourned 75 years on at Auschwitz, Al Jazeera, 30 October 2019: Roma Holocaust: Amid rising hate, ‘forgotten’ victims remembered, European Commission: European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day: Statement by First Vice-President Timmermans and Commissioner Jourová, Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism).

Antigypsyism-reference-paper-Layouted-version

Persecution of Christians
The persecution of Christians can be historically traced from the first century of the Christian era to the present day. Early Christians were persecuted for their faith at the hands of both the Jews from whose religion Christianity arose and the Romans who controlled many of the lands across which early Christianity was spread. Early in the fourth century, a form of the religion was legalized by the Edict of Milan, and it eventually became the State church of the Roman Empire. Christian missionaries as well as converts to Christianity have been the target of persecution ever since the emergence of Christianity, sometimes to the point of being martyred for their faith. The schisms of the Middle Ages and especially the Protestant Reformation, sometimes provoked severe conflicts between Christian denominations to the point of persecuting each other. In the 20th century, Christians were persecuted by various governments including the Islamic Ottoman Empire in the form of the Armenian Genocide, the Assyrian Genocide and the Greek Genocide, as well as by atheistic states such as the Soviet Union, Communist Albania, North Korea, Price tag policy, Jewish Defense League.

WWL2019_FullBooklet

Populism
The bloodlessness resulting from the hide and seek game of the newly to be formed federal government after the 2017 federal election has finally been filled by shortsighted and petty-bourgeois nationalization movements, of which most people thought that they belong to the past and their motives would have been overcome. This is not just about the now usual cross-cuts of the democracy and law freed, xenophobic EU-Eastern enlargement kleptocracies (Visegrád Group), which call themselves “illiberal“, but are actually autocratic (defective democracy) and as of today wouldn’t become EU members in their current conditions anymore, but now also to movements in Italy, France, Greece, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany, where parts of East Germany, especially in the rural areas of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, in Saxony even in the large metropolitan areas (Dresden, Leipzig, Chemnitz etc.) to no-go areas for “non-Aryans” have degenerated. This not only applies to refugees, but also to tourists, highly qualified foreign employees, employers and investors. In any case, it is difficult to convince national and international investors of investments in the new federal states, instead of getting involved in West Germany or Berlin. In this way, corporate headquarters, important research institutions or federal agencies can’t be attracted, which in return isn’t a surprise. The current events in Saxony and Thuringia will make this even more difficult for years, so once again it can be assumed that West German taxpayers have to keep the East alive, that, because of own weakness, can’t succeed on its own. Here again the failures immediately after the reunification become visible (civics/political education). A big mistake, as it turns out even today. Thus, Eastern occupation zone parallel societies could emerge, to which 30 years after the reunification it is completely unclear how democracy and a Rechtsstaat/rule of law work, why there is separation of powers and freedom of the press (media literacy) and which authorities are responsible for which tasks, but also where the state can not and should not intervene. However, this is not an exclusive phenomenon of the far right, but also applies to the eternal SED faithful from the far left. A lot of immigrants and refugees are far ahead of them, who even speak High German. This is all the more surprising because there is a very extensive information and education platform by the Federal Agency for Civic Education, that easily can be found online. Maybe they should think about translating the content in Saxon.

In Bavaria, the CSU was recently unpleasantly noticed, which tries to mask the denial of performance of their “Homeland Horst” in the Berlin Ministry of Interior through nonsense and volume, as one of his first official acts, apparently in ignorance of his duties as Federal Interior Minister and personal vanities, was to cancel his participation in the integration summit. Of course, as with all “right-wing national strategies” within a state, this attempt has gone down the drain and caused considerable domestic damage. It should be remembered that the coalition crisis was triggered by Horst Seehofer (for obvious mistakes in the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution), Markus Söder, Alexander Dobrindt and Andreas Scheuer because of five to ten migrants per day. No politician can make it more clear then that, that he isn’t fit to be responsible for state or federal politics. In addition, on July 4th, the US Independence Day is celebrated, the day of the liberation and the opening of a nation. On the same day, Horst Seehofer, the person who stands for exclusion, demarcation, fencing and isolation like no other, has his birthday, or as a radio host said: “… and somewhere up there sits a wise old man with a long beard in laughter about his successful prank!” After all, it was exhilarating to see the “axis of the willing”, which had been doomed to failure from the outset, between Seehofer, the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and the far-right Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini (Italian Fascism, The Guardian, 2 October 2018: Pro-refugee Italian mayor arrested for ‘aiding illegal migration’ (Riace in Calabria, Domenico Lucano) and Der Spiegel, 12 December 2018: A .38-Caliber Rosary: The Dangerous New Face of Salvini’s Italy), going down the drain. As expected, Salvini’s party, the Lega Nord, is currently siding with that of his autocratic friend Viktor Orbán (The Guardian, 5 January 2018: Thousands in Budapest march against ‘slave law’ forcing overtime on workers and The Guardian, 10 January 2018: Viktor Orbán calls for anti-migration politicians to take over EU), Fidesz

Added to this is the serious damage to the credibility of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution by its President Hans-Georg Maaßen and his supervisor Horst Seehofer, while simultaneously redeveloping the Federal Ministry of the Interior away from professional competence to competence in matters of democracy restriction/dismantling (one of the already very few detectable core competencies of the CSU), which causes serious damage to democracy and the reputation of the Federal Republic of Germany at home and abroad

There are no easy solutions. Populists, however, promise that a 2018 VW Beetle could be repaired with the same methods and tools as a VW Beetle from 1950 – it is simply not possible, which is why populists always fail when they have to implement their “programs” in reality. Both the Brexit and the election of US President Donald Trump show how profoundly incompetent the protagonists behind it are, and as well as how many simpletons are allowed to vote. There are populists since there is politics. This is usually not a problem, because most of them hardly get beyond the regulars’ table. It becomes a problem when a large number of voters want to believe their lies and fall in their traps. For example, the most-asked question on Google UK the day after the Brexit referendum was “What is Brexit?” The voters were in large parts completely disinformated and uninformed (including Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and other nationalists and right-wing extremists) and have been lured by lies to the Brexit vote. The consequences will not be borne by the populists themselves, but by their voters and their descendants. Already Winston Churchill came to the conclusion: “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” (however, he was also one of the proponents of the United States of Europe). The referendum is a very good example of this thesis. If Brexit is actually set in action on March 29, 2019, it will take several decades to compensate the damages arising from it. It has to be remembered that the United Kingdom’s net payments to the EU amount to about € 5.6 billion a year (one of the main arguments of the Brexiteers for the exit from the EU). In return, for the year 2018 alone, there is a decline in foreign direct investment in the UK of at least 44 billion euros. Added to this is the downfall of the British pound and the real estate values in the metropolitan areas even though the Brexit isn’t even implemented yet. It is still unclear how many jobs will be lost, but it will probably be at least a large 6-digit number. Numerous highly qualified British have already exchanged their citizenship for a state on the continent and are, of course, warmly welcomed.

But of course there are populists in other EU states as well. In Germany, for example, the AfD (The Guardian, 13 January 2019: AfD party votes to campaign for German exit from EU (the decision to try to dissolve the allegedly “undemocratic” European Parliament is particularly amusing insofar as the Parliament is directly elected by all EU voters. Obviously, the AfD hasn’t understood how democracy works) The Guardian, 15 January 2019: Extreme-right wing of Germany’s AfD placed under surveillance, Times of Israel, 15 January 2019: German spy agency to step up scrutiny of far-right party, BBC, 5 April 2019: German far-right MP ‘could be absolutely controlled by Russia’, DW, 16 April 2019: Germany’s AfD party fined over €400,000 for illegal campaign financing), which is characterized mainly by vociferous and dull incompetence, anti-Semitism, islamophobia and xenophobia. The CSU, the political ghost riders from Bavaria, who not only put the decades-old union at risk, but at the same time the stability of Germany and the EU – and all because they want are on a election campaign for the AfD for the 2018 Bavarian state election. Obviously, the acting persons (Seehofer, Söder, Dobrindt and Scheuer) are in the wrong party. Moreover, those who complain about “renationalisation”, “anti-deportation industry”, “rule of injustice”, “asylum tourism” and “language police” endangers the entire German social and economic model. According to current survey results, the CSU will lose the usual absolute majority and that would be good and well deserved. The right-wing populist government coalition of Austria doesn’t know what it wants, except “no foreigners, Muslims and journalists”. The far-right FPÖ would be in favor of the country leaving the euro, and preferably the EU as well. The right-wing populist ÖVP doesn’t want both at the moment. The racist and Islamophobic one-man party Geert Wilders from the Netherlands got the losing end in recent elections and there is reasonable hope that it will go on like this. The French Front National has renamed itself Rassemblement National in 2018 and is due to numerous financial affairs fortunately widely insolvent. From the past elections in France, the FN came out clearly inferior. Depending on the course of the presidency of Emmanuel Macron and his successes in the desired EU reforms, the FN will develop and either remain only loud and insubstantial or can count on increases in the worst case. Since 2015, Greece has been led by Alexis Tsipras and his governing coalition of left-wing (Syriza) and right-wing populists (ANEL). Over 10 years permanent crisis leave its political mark. The country would like to participate in the free capital market again at the end of 2018. In Italy, a similar picture emerges, fueled by the fact that the country has been in economic reverse for years, because administration and politics block each other. As a result, a coalition of right-wing populists MoVimento 5 Stelle and right-wing extremist Lega Nord (which wasn’t supposed to participatge in any Italian government at all, as the party was founded for the secession of northern Italy from the south of the country) was formed in June 2018. As dummy-President of the Council of Ministers Giuseppe Conte was chosen. Both parties are skeptical about the EU, and on top the Lega Nord is openly anti-Semitic, anti-Islamic and xenophobic. The consequences of such a mixture are not yet foreseeable, but promise nothing good for Italy, also because both parties lack economic and administrative competence, but this would be urgently needed because of the country’s situation. The countries of the Visegrád Group are only remaining in the EU to collect funds because they aren’t able to generate wealth or future prospects for their citizens by their own. In recent years, the tentative democratic approaches have been continuously reduced in favor of “illiberality“. The rule of law has already been abolished by the governments a while ago. In Denmark, the government of Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Venstre) is supported by the right-wing populist Dansk Folkeparti, which provides corresponding shrill comments. The current election in Sweden has brought a significant shift to the right (The Guradian, 2 September 2018: Germany’s far right never went away, but festered in its eastern stronghold, slate.com, 4 September2018: The good fight: The Failure of the Center-Right, The New York Times, 11. September 2018: Can Germany’s Center Hold Against the Far Right?, The Guardian, 11 September 2018: My country is being poisoned by populism. The EU must stand with Hungary, The New York Times, 11 September 2018: E.U.’s Leadership Seeks to Contain Hungary’s Orban, The Guardian, 12 September 2018: Merkel condemns far-right outbreak in passionate address, The Guardian, 12 September 2018: Don’t believe the doomsayers. Here is Europe’s good news, The Guardian, 12 September 2018: MEPs vote to pursue action against Hungary over Orbán crackdown, The Guardian, 25 January 2019: Fight for Europe – or the wreckers will destroy it, The Guardian, 25 January 2019: Europe ‘coming apart before our eyes’, say 30 top intellectuals, The Guardian, 12 April 2019: Trump and his imitators are out to nobble the world’s referees, France24, 5 June 2019: Press freedom in ‘downward spiral’ across the world, The Guardian, 30 September 2019: Why Europe’s new populists tell so many lies – and do it so shamelessly, Politico.eu, 18 March 2020: Coronavirus’ next victim: Populism).

Separatism
A special form of regionalism or nationalism is separatism, which sends greetings all the way from medieval times, were there are probably reasonably and traceable reasons to be found, if you want to search for it at all. It doesn’t make any sense in the 21st century, but it doesn’t have to for the protagonists anyways, especially because it is fed by emotions rather than any rational aspects. Current and prominent separatism efforts are:

The Catalanism in Spain, whose latest episode ended in the Catalan crisis (The New York Times, 11 February 2019: Catalan Separatists’ Trial: How They Got Here, and What They Could Face, France24, 14 October 2019: Spain jails Catalan separatists for up to 13 years over independence bid, BBC, 14 October 2019: Catalonia crisis in 300 words, The Guardian, 14 October 2019: Catalan separatist leaders given lengthy prison sentences, Al Jazeera, 14 October 2019: Catalan separatist leaders handed jail terms for independence bid, France24, 14 October 2019: Spain issues warrant for Catalan separatist leader Puigdemont after colleagues sentenced, BBC, 14 October 2019: Catalonia leaders jailed for sedition by Spanish court (the advantage of the judgments is that, on the one hand, existing Spanish law is satisfied, but on the other, the defendants now have enough time to not only moan, but also to sue against the judgments themselves, and more importantly to have the underlying legislation reviewed by European courts. Instead of committing serious crimes, they can constructively contribute to the advancement of civil society so that their criminal acts could eventually lead to good and clarifying results. Meanwhile, the ringleader of the criminal structure Carles Puigdemont has fled abroad to escape his fair, just, reasonable, transparent and democratic punishment while continuing his anti-democratic activities against the Spanish state), Politico.eu, 15 October 2019: Europe should commend Catalan convictions, The Guardian, 15 October 2019: Catalan independence leaders accused of ‘totalitarian attitude’, The National, 15 October 2019: Catalan independence leaders had ‘totalitarian attitude’, says Spain’s FM, DW, 26 October 2019: Spain: Violence erupts after peaceful Catalan independence rally, BBC, 27 October 2019: Catalonia crisis: Separatist protest draws 350,000 in Barcelona, Al Jazeera, 27 October 2019: Thousands rally in Barcelona calling for Spanish unity, BBC, 27 October 2019: Catalonia crisis: Thousands rally in Barcelona for Spanish unity, France24, 19 December 2019: EU court rules that Catalan leader was jailed improperly, Politico.eu, 19 December 2019: Carles Puigdemont allowed to enter EU Parliament after court ruling (it is somewhat unbelievable that the European Parliament is actively supporting Spanish criminals), The Guardian, 19 December 2019: Catalan party calls for release of jailed leader after immunity ruling, France24, 2 January 2020: Belgian court suspends extradition of former Catalan leader Puigdemont, The National, 2 January 2020: Belgium suspends arrest warrant for Catalan separatist leader, France24, 4 January 2020: Spanish electoral board disqualifies Catalan regional leader Quim Torra, Politico.eu, 4 January 2020: Catalan president faces being removed from office, The Guardian, 13 January 2020: Puigdemont arrives to take up European parliament seat).

The Basque Country in the border region between Spain and France and in particular the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country in Spain.

On the island of Corsica, which belongs to France, separatist movements and efforts have come and go every now and again, which have caused many victims, but have very little chances of success.

In Italy, the far-right Lega Nord was founded in the late 1980s with the aim of splitting the industrialized north from the impoverished south. In the meantime, together with Five Star Movement, she is practicing “government”. Neither the first nor the later is working.

There is a large Hungarian minority living in Romania, the Szeklers, which aims to restore the Szeklerland. The chances are very limited (DW, 3 February 2020: Viktor Orban’s dangerous export of ideologies).

On the group of islands of New Caledonia, which is part of France as well, there are regular attempts of independence. The most recent referendum in November 2018 was clearly in favor of maintaining the status as French Overseas Territory.

In Wales (History of Wales and Welsh devolution referendum, 1997) and Scotland (History of Scotland and Scottish devolution referendum, 1997), there have been secession efforts from England/the United Kingdom for centuries. Under the impression of Brexit, these efforts are increasing again (The Guardian, 13 December 2019: Scottish independence vote a ‘democratic right’, says Sturgeon, DW, 13 December 2019: Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon presses for independence vote, Politico.eu, 14 December 2019: Sturgeon cites ‘mandate’ for Scottish referendum).

Depending on how Brexit will ultimately look like and what effect this will have on Ireland/ Northern Ireland, it can’t be ruled out that the IRA will be revitalized, whose political arm Sinn Féin is represented both in the Irish Parliament and is the strongest party of Northern Irish Catholics. All parties are trying to avert this scenario, because the terror of the Northern Ireland conflict (Good Friday Agreement and Bloody Sunday), which was supposedly largely overcome, is still present. If it will become a “Hard Brexit” without an agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom, the cooling conflict can quickly turn into a heated conflict again (The Guardian, 27 September 2018: No-deal Brexit could result in Northern Ireland blackouts, leaks reveal, The Guardian, 20 January 2019: Derry bomb attack: Northern Ireland police arrest two men, France24, 20 January 2019: Police make arrests after car bomb in Northern Ireland, The Irish Times, 20 January 2019: Derry car bomb: Police believe ‘New IRA’ behind ‘attempt to kill’ and DW, 23 April 2019: Lyra McKee: Woman arrested over Northern Ireland journalist’s murder). This background given, the completely haphazard approach of the May administration is incomprehensible at all (or maybe only if you know that Theresa May actually belonged to the “Remain” camp and now has to implement the Brexit against her beliefs).

Another aspect of Brexit is the affiliation of Gibraltar. The rock was officially ceded by Spain to the United Kingdom in 1713, but still claimed by Spain to date. In 2002, a referendum on Gibraltar’s affiliation was held, with 98% of the population voting in favor to belong to the UK. However, as part of the Brexit referendum, 96% of the population voted to remain in the EU, so that there is still a need and plenty of room for discussions.

On the Balkans, among the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, there are still all sorts of separatists and separatist efforts, whose outcomes are still unclear, in parts promoted by the fact that the EU accession prospects for the individual states were promised by the EU, but can not be implemented because of the blockades by few EU member states.

An antidote
In addition to education, direct contact is of course an almost unbeatable countermeasure to nationalism, xenophobia, racism and hostility to religion. Here is a possible example: Part of my training was that my parents sent me alone to London for a few weeks at the age of 14. Back then it was anything but normal or the rule, but a real privilege. An unforgettable experience, to belong to a minority of German nationality for a short time. So one day I sat at the fountain on Trafalgar Square with a Falk-Plan, the predecessor of Google Maps printed on paper, on my knees, to find my way through the tangle of streets in the city. After a while an older Brit sat down next to me and we started talking. In the course of the conversation he said, “Great that you like my country and my city so much. You are very welcome, but your grandfather better never ever show up again!” After this sentence was fully understood and processed, the topics “xenophobia and nationalism” were off my table. For other topics, there were corresponding other experiences that I had abroad when I was young and which have an impact to this day. This was also very helpful for later international professional activities. The “sorting” of the fellow human beings is not based on nationality, skin color or religion, but on “very nice, nice, okay, difficult, of no use at all or toxic”, which also makes things much easier to handle overall. Unlike nationalism or hostility to religion, you don’t need to remember over 190 countries in the world or even more religions, because you supposedly shouldn’t like them, but only single toxins, which you can easily avoid without limiting or restricting yourself.

This contribution is sporadically supplemented and extended.

Read more on VOLT Europa, United Europe, Pulse of Europe.

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