From November 20 to 30, the Central Council of Jews in Germany conducted an online survey to gather data on the effects of Israel’s defensive war against Hamas on Jewish communities in Germany.
Leaders from 98 out of the 105 Jewish communities in Germany participated.
“The ambivalence of the results is truly noteworthy and an important insight,” says Central Council President Dr. Josef Schuster.
It is quite remarkable that, in the face of the complex and challenging situation since October 7, nearly all surveyed communities, 96 percent, are satisfied with their collaboration with security authorities. The remaining four percent reported being partially satisfied. In line with this, the survey indicates that, alongside politics and local church communities, the police are considered among the most important partners of Jewish communities.
At the same time, almost 80 percent of community leaders state that it has become visibly more insecure to live as a Jew in Germany and, especially, to express one’s identity since October 7.
The most affected are Jewish seniors, families with children, and teenagers. One-third of the communities have experienced antisemitic attacks in recent weeks, ranging from graffiti to personal insults. There is unanimous reporting of psychological pressure through threatening calls and emails. “These are distressing reports,” says Dr. Schuster.
Furthermore, he states, “Antisemitism, whether Islamist, right-wing extremist, or left-wing radical, is always an attack on our open society and our rule of law. From the current situation, I read a great trust of Jewish communities in local political institutions and security authorities. Despite this trust, the high level of uncertainty within the communities sends a warning signal to the entire society. We must not allow extremists of any kind to endanger our community.”
