The final two-panel discussions held at Joint Perspectives, the conference hosted by the German newspaper WELT and the Jerusalem Post in Berlin on Wednesday, were devoted to antisemitism and reactions to the phenomenon.
The first of the two panel discussions was moderated by Jennifer Wilton, editor-in-chief of WELT, and included Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, Chief Rabbi and President, Conference of European Rabbis; Dr. Felix Klein, Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism; Prof. Dr. Michael Wolffsohn, a German-Jewish historian; and Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism for the State of Israel.
Goldschmidt said that he has speculated as to the origins of the recent explosion in antisemitism. “I asked myself – what caused this explosion in antisemitism? Was it the massacre of Hamas, or was it the counter-offensive of Israel afterward against Gaza? I came to the realization that on October 7, we turned the clock back 120 years to the Kishinev Pogrom. On October 7, there was no state, there was no army, and there was no intelligence. All those organizations failed, Jews were massacred, and the Jews again looked weak and vulnerable. This caused closeted antisemites to come out of the closet and say, ‘Yes, we are proud, and we are antisemites, and we’re going to show it.’”
He suggested that the way to combat antisemitism is to bring back the strength, which is returning not only to Israel, but also to the Jewish communities in the Diaspora. He expressed his gratitude for the support provided by the governments of Europe. “The way that the governments of Europe have stood with their Jewish communities has been remarkable,” he said.
Critical juncture for Israel, Jews
Cotler-Wunsh said that Israel and the Jewish people are facing a critical moment in Jewish history. “I think it is an existential moment, not just for the State of Israel that is under attack. As we speak, there is a war raging from multiple fronts – from the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas – all proxies of a murderous Islamic regime in Iran. That is definitely an existential moment for the Jewish people that we have not faced since returning to our ancestral homeland.”She added that the situation of the Jewish people in 2024 is not comparable to what occurred during the Holocaust. “I’m happy to say that 2024 is not 1944. Let’s be very clear about that. We have a country, and we have sovereignty, and we have an army, and we are doing precisely what our end of ‘never again’ meant.”Dr. Klein said that there has been a significant rise in antisemitic incidents in Germany. Nevertheless, he noted that many of the structures introduced in the past years in the fight against antisemitism have proven to be effective.“We have set up a joint federal and state commission where we systematically want to confront and prevent antisemitism. We have adopted a national strategy. We see that the channels have been developed in order to confront antisemitism. I agree very much with Rabbi Goldschmidt saying we have to empower the Jewish communities.”Historian Wolffsohn was less sanguine and said that “despite all the efforts on the micro-political level and the macro-political level, the situation for Jews in Germany and the Diaspora countries in the Western world has worsened.” He noted that while the German government has done a great deal to fight antisemitism, “it is unable to steer German society away from its anti-Israel and also antisemitic approach. Therefore anti-Jewish and anti-Israel violence is by no means a surprise.”The second panel, entitled “Reactions,” was moderated by Tatjana Ohm, Chief Anchor, WELT, and included Amir Gross Kabiri, President of the Jewish Community in Mostar, a city in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina; Dr. Josef Schuster, President, Central Council of Jews in Germany; and Aaron Sagui, Deputy Chief of Mission, Israeli Embassy in Berlin.
Kabiri described living in Mostar, which has a very small Jewish community living among a majority of Muslims. “I’ve been witnessing a very worrying selection process between the Jews and between the Jews who are Zionist and Israelis,” he said. “I was quite vocal in opposing this kind of narrative because it’s very dangerous. I have all the rights as a Jew, Zionist, and Israeli to say my opinion.” He suggested that Jewish people should keep vocal and keep fighting antisemitism.He related that he battled with the politicians and institutions, because the only way for the Jewish people to succeed is to say what is on their mind. “It’s exactly what it is – to battle. We need to speak out loud what we think because Jews have no fear anymore, and we have to show it no matter where we are – even if it’s a country with a Muslim majority.”
Dr. Schuster said that antisemitism in Germany after October 7 is more prevalent in larger cities such as Berlin than in smaller towns. “We have 105 Jewish communities in Germany,” he said, “and I think in most of these smaller communities, Jewish life is more or less the same.” Speaking of antisemitism, he stated, “It’s a problem, and we can’t accept it. It should not be possible for Jewish people in Germany not to show that they are Jewish.”Referring to the need to educate people against antisemitism, he said that this process must start long before students reach university and must begin when they are small children. “No child is born antisemitic,” he said.
Aaron Sagui said that the German government is doing a much better job countering antisemitism than it has in the past, especially since October 7, adding that relations between Germany and Israel are at a high point. Speaking of the Jewish future, he said, “We have always kept hope alive, and we have no choice. It is part of our DNA. We keep pushing, and we stand proud.”