Supporting Israel, Understanding Palestinians: How the War in Gaza has Sparked Dark Reminders of the Past in Germany

Since the end of World War II, one term has shaped German politics more than any other: “Never again.” Yet, once again, Jews fear for their lives.

The October 7 terror attacks on Israel by Hamas have evoked agonizing memories. World leaders like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden have drawn parallels between the assault and the Holocaust. Biden even described the attacks on a dance party and farming communities, which left more than 1,400 people dead, as “the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.”

Since the attacks, Jews in Germany have faced violence on German streets and authorities say antisemitic crimes have increased. Homes and businesses have been marked with the Star of David, a dark reminder of the 1930s. The conflict in Gaza has polarized communities. There have been pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have gotten violent.

On November 9, we will talk with award-winning journalist and ACG fellow Vladimir Balzer about the mood in Germany following the violence in Gaza.

Vladimir Balzer is an award-winning journalist and moderator at Deutschlandfunk Kultur. He grew up in Leipzig and studied German, art history, and journalism in Dublin, Venice, and Leipzig. He studied abroad in Italy and the United States. He began his career as a presenter, reporter, and editor at Deutschlandradio and MDR. Mr. Balzer hosts, among other programs, the daily programs “Fazit – Kultur vom Tage” and “Studio 9” on Deutschlandfunk Kultur. In 2022, he was selected to be a Kellen Fellow by the American Council on Germany.