How do Germans feel about the Jewish state two months after the Hamas terrorist attack? The attitude that the Federal Republic has a “special obligation” towards Israel is losing weight. A Forsa survey exclusively for WELT also shows deep divisions in other respects.
“Israel is foreign to me.” This is what 59 percent of Germans say, and among 30 to 44 year olds it is even 70 percent. This emerges from a current survey by the opinion research institute Forsa.
On behalf of WELT, Forsa again asked Germans about their image of the Jewish state two months after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th. The previous survey took place on October 13th and 14th.
Immediately after the attack, 44 percent of those surveyed said that Germany had “a special obligation to Israel.” In December it is only 37 percent. AfD supporters in particular stand out: only 24 percent of this group agree with this statement. The figure is also low for FDP supporters at 31 percent. This also applies to the age groups 30 to 44 years (33 percent) and 45 to 59 years (30 percent).
57 percent of those surveyed believe that Israel “pursues its interests without regard for other peoples.” This is an increase compared to October of this year, when 51 percent held this view – but a significant decrease compared to 2012, when the figure was 70 percent. Today, only 35 percent agree with the statement “Israel respects human rights”; in October it was 37 percent. AfD supporters currently have the lowest figure here at 30 percent.
Almost one in ten Germans is also of the opinion that Israel has “no right to exist in the Middle East,” up from six percent in October. The lowest values on this question can be found among SPD and Green Party supporters: three percent each. Denying Israel the right to exist is clearly anti-Semitic.ALSO READ
On the other hand, 41 percent agree with the statement that the Jewish state is “a friendly country”; Almost a quarter say they are “close” to them – among SPD supporters the figure is even 41 percent.
Germans are divided on the question of whether “ Israel’s military action in the Gaza Strip is, all in all, appropriate.” 45 percent say “yes” here, 43 percent think the approach is “excessive”. The remaining twelve percent do not want to make an assessment on this question.
While Green Party supporters are more sympathetic to Israel than other groups on other issues, they disagree on this point: 46 percent believe Israel is acting “excessively” in the Gaza Strip.
German citizens are equally divided on the question of whether Israel plays a “special role” in the international community. Half of those surveyed said this was the case. Supporters of the SPD and the Greens in particular emphasize Israel’s special role (68 and 60 percent respectively).
On the other hand, 44 percent are of the opinion that Israel is “a state like any other.” There are also differences between the age groups: 58 percent of those over 60 see Israel as having a special role in the international community, but only 42 percent of those aged 30 to 44 do.
Before Hamas’ terrorist attack against Israel, researchers at the University of Leipzig conducted the “Berlin Monitor” from the end of May to the end of July 2023 , an annual study on the capital city’s residents’ views on democracy, politics and social groups.
In the section on anti-Semitism, there was a significantly higher rejection of Israel and more anti-Jewish attitudes than in Germany as a whole. 27 percent of Berliners think the founding of Israel is a bad idea; 15 percent agreed with the statement: “Even today, the influence of Jews is too great.” 13 percent believe that Jews are responsible for “most of the wars and conflicts in the world.”
