Since the Hamas attack on Israel last October, a wide range of political and ideological camps have shared their reports and opinions on the conflict; at the same time, an increase in antisemitic attacks has been observed in Germany, too. A lecture series at the University of Konstanz "The Hamas-Israel War and Antisemitism. Facts & Discussion" aims to supplement the heated debate with knowledge from relevant experts. "Scientifically sound presentations, an exhibition and workshops will provide background knowledge about the Middle East conflict and antisemitism not only to students, but also to teaching staff and interested members of the public", says Thomas Hinz.
Guest speakers: Federal Government Commissioner Felix Klein, Brandon Friedman and Hanna Weiler
The series kicks off on 16 April 2024 with an online lecture (in English) by Brandon Friedman from Tel Aviv University, providing historical context for the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. On 24 April 2024, Felix Klein, Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism, will talk about the topic of hatred of Jews as a driving force of extremism and violence in Israel, Germany and worldwide. Klein, a lawyer and diplomat, will explain how antisemitic extremism works. How does it lead to violence and what can be done about it? The public lecture (in German) starts at 18:45 and can be attended both online and in lecture hall R 711 at the University of Konstanz.
Other lectures cover Israel's pluralistic society before the Hamas attacks and antisemitism directed at Israel that is occurring in Germany. The speakers explain the context for the current conflict and reflect on socio-psychological aspects of a path to a peace agreement. Co-organizer Petra Quintini emphasizes: "In light of the increase in antisemitic positions and attacks, in universities and cultural institutions, too, it is essential for us to foster a critical view of antisemitism in this way. Speakers are experts from collaborating academic institutions in Germany and Israel, in particular Tel Aviv University.
On 2 July 2024, the series will conclude with a panel discussion (in German) between Hanna Veiler, president of the Jewish student union in Germany (JSUD), and Thomas Hinz, who recently published a study on the prevalence of antisemitism among students. The panel will discuss many questions, including how antisemitism manifests itself at universities and what effective countermeasures can be taken.
Information on the lecture series "The Hamas-Israel War and Antisemitism. Facts & Discussion" can be found on the Website https://www.unikn-tau.net/
Event details:
- 16 April 2024, 18:45–20:15: Brandon Friedman, Director of Research at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle East and African Studies at Tel Aviv University: "From Arab-Israeli Wars to an Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Historical Perspective" (online, in English)
- 24 April 2024, 18:45–20:15, Felix Klein, Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism: "In Israel, in Deutschland, weltweit: Judenhass als treibende Kraft von Extremismus und Gewalt" (In Israel, Germany and worldwide: hatred of Jews as a driving force of extremism and violence) (University of Konstanz, room R 711 and online, in German)
- 2 July 2024, 18:45–20:15: Hanna Veiler, President of the Jewish student union Germany (JSUD)
Thomas Hinz, professor of empirical social research at the University of Konstanz: "Why at universities? Growing antisemitism and strategies to fight it" (University of Konstanz, room R 611 and online, in German) - The programme listing all events (8 presentations and an exhibition) is published online at: https://www.unikn-tau.net/