Key Concepts

State Reason (Staatsräson): Germany has a special responsibility towards Israel due to historical reasons and considers its security as a core national interest.
Antisemitism: In the German context, the definition and application of this term are highly controversial and are often used to suppress criticism of Israeli policies.
Memory Culture (Erinnerungskultur): Germany's approach to dealing with the history of the Nazi Holocaust. Currently, it faces challenges in applying this to immigrants and new conflicts.
Academic Freedom: German academia and cultural circles face pressure of shrinking speech space and self - censorship when discussing the Israeli - Palestinian issue.
Global South Narrative: A perspective that understands the Palestinian issue within a broader anti - colonial and post - colonial framework.

Abstract

The content of this podcast is derived from an offline round - table discussion about the reactions in Germany to the Gaza conflict. Since the conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, this event has not only caused a huge humanitarian disaster but also triggered a profound public opinion and political earthquake in German society. The discussion delved into how Germany's unique historical background—the shadow of the Holocaust and the resulting State Reason (Staatsräson), that is, Germany's special historical responsibility towards Israel—affects its current political decisions and public discussions. The guests shared the dilemmas they encountered in discussions about the Israeli - Palestinian issue in Germany, especially in academia and the cultural circle. These include the widespread use of the label of "Antisemitism" to suppress critical voices, which challenges freedom of speech and academic freedom. The discussion also touched on the complexity and limitations of Germany's "Memory Culture" when facing immigrant groups and new historical situations, as well as the role of the media (such as Axel Springer) in shaping public opinion. The guests discussed their experiences and challenges in navigating these sensitive issues in German society from an immigrant perspective and reflected on the possible malfunction of democratic mechanisms in specific issues.

Insights

This podcast discussion reveals the profound contradictions that contemporary German society faces when dealing with its historical responsibilities and current international conflicts. It highlights how the principle of "State Reason," based on historical guilt, can potentially evolve into a tool to restrict open dialogue and critical thinking in practice, especially when it comes to Israeli policies. The over - expansion of the definition of "Antisemitism" and its weaponization in the public domain not only compress the space for speech but also pose potential threats to Germany's academic freedom and cultural diversity.

This discussion provides a unique window to observe the evolution of Germany's "Memory Culture." As society becomes increasingly diverse, especially with the growth of immigrant groups, how to inherit historical memories and define collective responsibilities has become an issue that German society must face. The current practices sometimes seem rigid and fail to fully consider the historical experiences and identities of different groups, exposing the challenges of the "Memory Culture" in terms of universality and inclusiveness.

In addition, this content also reflects that in certain highly sensitive issues, Germany's democratic mechanisms and media ecosystem may experience functional obstacles, and there is a disconnection between the elite consensus and some public opinions. This warns us that even in a mature democratic country, the maintenance of certain "core narratives" may come at the cost of sacrificing some democratic principles. In the long run, this internal tension may prompt German society to conduct a deeper reflection and adjustment on its national identity, historical narrative, and democratic practice.

Views

01 "The Double - Edged Sword of 'State Reason'"

Based on its historical responsibility for the Holocaust, Germany has formed the principle of "State Reason," which emphasizes a special commitment to Israel's security. However, in the context of the current Gaza conflict, some people believe that this principle restricts the necessary criticism of the Israeli government's actions and intensifies the tension and opposition within society.

The podcast mentioned that German leaders such as Merkel and Scholz emphasized that "Israel's security is Germany's national obligation," which is not only a policy goal but also an "essential part" of Germany's existence. However, as Israel's role becomes more complex, the application of this principle has triggered new ethical dilemmas.

02 "The Expansion of 'Antisemitism' Accusations and the Chilling Effect"

The discussion pointed out that in the current German context, the label of "Antisemitism" is often used to suppress criticism of Israeli policies and even affects peaceful expressions in support of the rights of Palestinians. This practice has had a significant "chilling effect" on academic freedom, artistic expression, and public discussion.

A guest shared an experience: "Some activities of scholars supporting Palestine are directly labeled as Antisemitism... For many of us who work in academia, it feels like a relatively big cultural conflict... You have a whole set of understandings about this matter."

03 "The Limitations of 'Memory Culture' and Challenges from an Immigrant Perspective"

Germany's proud "Memory Culture" has been praised for dealing with the Nazi history, but the podcast discussion believes that it has limitations. It sometimes focuses too much on Jewish victims and ignores other persecuted groups or Germany's colonial history. When applied to immigrants with different historical backgrounds, it may force them to adopt the "perpetrator" perspective, leading to identity dilemmas.

"Germany's Memory Culture is a relatively new thing... If you are a German citizen, you are forced to take on the role of the perpetrator to accept this history... This is actually a problematic point in some studies... Some immigrant children... actually take on the perspective of Jews... but they will be stopped by teachers, who will say that you cannot take on the perspective of Jews; you are a German and you should take on the perspective of Nazis."

04 "The Role of the Media and the Specific Malfunction of Democratic Mechanisms"

The discussion mentioned that some mainstream German media (such as the Axel Springer Group) hold a strong pro - Israel stance on the Israeli - Palestinian issue and fail to fully reflect the growing diverse voices in society and doubts about Israel's actions. This is regarded as a certain degree of malfunction of Germany's media supervision and democratic reflection mechanisms in specific issues.

"When it comes to the Israeli - Palestinian conflict, all democratic mechanisms fail... Why can't we see different voices in the media?... Germany's largest media institution is called Axel Springer... It openly supports Israel... Their CEO... has an Israeli flag next to his profile picture."

In - Depth Analysis

The Gaza Conflict Shakes Germany: The Clash of Historical Responsibility, Speech Boundaries, and Identity

Introduction

Since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel subsequently launched large - scale military operations in the Gaza Strip, this conflict far away in the Middle East has triggered an extremely strong shock within German society. A round - table discussion held in Berlin (recorded in the podcast "Out of Place") brought together Chinese scholars and observers in Germany. Their dialogue not only revealed the direct impact of the conflict but also deeply touched on the complex clashes and potential crises in German society regarding core issues such as historical responsibility, freedom of speech, and identity. The core tension of this discussion lies in: How can Germany balance its "special responsibility" towards Israel stemming from the Holocaust history with the need to adhere to humanitarian principles and safeguard citizens' freedom of speech in the current conflict?

The Ghost of History: The Heavy Legacy of "State Reason"

Germany's attitude towards Israel is rooted in its profound reflection on the historical guilt of massacring millions of Jews during the Nazi era. The concept of "State Reason (Staatsräson)" was first proposed by former Chancellor Merkel in a speech to the Israeli Knesset on the occasion of Israel's 60th anniversary in 2008 and has been repeatedly emphasized by current Chancellor Scholz and Vice - Chancellor Habeck and other politicians. Its core meaning is: Israel's security is one of the reasons for Germany's existence. This almost sacred principle means that support for Israel goes beyond general policy considerations and becomes the cornerstone of Germany's national identity. However, as discussed in the podcast, with the passage of time and geopolitical changes, Israel's role has become increasingly complex. It is no longer just the image of a historical victim. Its actions in the Israeli - Palestinian conflict, especially the large number of Palestinian civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis caused in the current Gaza war, have put Germany's unconditional support for Israel under severe moral and political scrutiny. German society is in a dilemma: Does admitting historical responsibility mean remaining silent about all the actions of the current Israeli government?

The Division in the Public Opinion Field: From Street Protests to "Cancellation" in the Cultural Circle

In the early days of the conflict, there were quickly pro - Israel marches in German society. At the same time, in areas with a large Palestinian and Arab population (such as Neukölln in Berlin), there were also rallies in support of Palestine, which were once strongly suppressed by the police and temporarily banned by the Berlin city government. This restriction on rallies with a specific stance has triggered a strong backlash from left - wing and liberal people in German society, which values freedom of assembly. Subsequently, a series of events have intensified social division:

Vice - Chancellor Habeck's Speech: He tried to reiterate Germany's stance in a reasonable and emotional way, emphasizing historical responsibility. However, in the view of some people, this was more like consolidating rather than reconciling differences.
"Cancellation Culture" in the Cultural and Academic Circles: Renowned journalist Masha Gessen (herself of Jewish descent) had the award ceremony of the Hannah Arendt Prize temporarily cancelled because of her commentary article "Under the Shadow of the Holocaust"; the Berlin Film Festival was controversial due to a winning documentary co - directed by Israeli and Palestinian directors. After the culture minister was photographed clapping, she claimed that she was "only clapping for the Israeli director," which led to the film festival being accused of being an "Antisemitic platform" and facing rectification; a large - scale "Palestine Congress" planned to be held in Berlin was stopped by the police after only two hours, and many internationally renowned participants (such as former Greek Finance Minister Varoufakis and a British doctor working in Gaza) were banned from entering the country or had their visas revoked. These events all point to a worrying trend: In Germany, the space for discussions around the Israeli - Palestinian issue is shrinking rapidly. Any speech considered to be "crossing the line" may quickly be labeled as "Antisemitism" and then face severe consequences from the revocation of funding to social "cancellation."

The Definition of "Antisemitism": Blurred Red Lines and Abused Accusations

"Antisemitism" is undoubtedly an extremely sensitive red line in German society. However, the discussion in the podcast reveals that in current practice, the boundaries of this concept have become extremely blurred and there is a tendency for it to be weaponized. The guests pointed out that in the German context, there is a set of "unwritten rules" that cannot be questioned, such as:

One cannot casually compare Israel's actions to those of the Nazis or the Holocaust.
One cannot question the right of Israel to exist as a state.
One cannot "glorify violence." Critics believe that these "red lines" are too broad and are often used out of context to suppress reasonable criticism of the specific policies of the Israeli government, including peaceful support for the rights of Palestinians. Scholar Qi shared the experience of a senior scholar being fired from her research institution because her social media posts "crossed the red line," and the whole process lacked a transparent procedure and space for discussion, which shocked and disturbed many foreign scholars. The deeper problem is that the official and mainstream discourse in Germany tends to conflate "Jews," "the State of Israel," and "the current Israeli government." This confusion makes it easy for criticism of the Israeli government's policies to be elevated to hostility towards the entire Jewish nation, that is, "Antisemitism." Ironically, as mentioned in the podcast, many people actively involved in the movement to support Palestine are themselves Jews, and they believe that criticizing the policies of the Israeli government is precisely the practice of the ethical and justice values emphasized in Judaism. In addition, the strong pro - Israel stance of Germany's powerful Axel Springer Media Group (which owns the widely - circulated "Bild") and its "propaganda and education" of its internal employees have also largely shaped Germany's public opinion environment and restricted the spread of different voices.

The Challenges of "Memory Culture": Immigrant Perspectives and Historical Reflection

Germany's "Memory Culture" (Erinnerungskultur)—the reflection and commemoration of the Nazi history, especially the Holocaust—is widely regarded as a successful symbol of its post - war democratic reconstruction. However, this conflict has exposed its potential limitations.

Selective Memory: Critics point out that Germany's Memory Culture focuses highly on its responsibility towards Jews but inadequately reflects on its colonial history (such as the genocide in Namibia). This selectivity makes it difficult for Germany to understand the plight of Palestinians from a broader anti - colonial perspective when looking at the Israeli - Palestinian conflict.
Immigrant Identity Dilemmas: For the growing immigrant groups, especially those from non - European and even colonized historical backgrounds, German society seems to expect them to unconditionally accept and identify with the narrative framework of "descendants of perpetrators." The concept of "subcontract of guilt" mentioned in the podcast and the example of immigrant students not being allowed to empathize with Jewish victims when visiting concentration camps but being forced to take on the "Nazi perspective" reveal the rudeness and unreasonableness of this mandatory historical identity. This not only ignores the historical experiences of immigrants themselves but may also intensify their sense of marginalization.
Intertwined with Islamophobia: Some political forces are accused of using the political correctness of "anti - Antisemitism" to cover up or rationalize their exclusion of Muslim immigrants. Equating the actions of Hamas with "Islamic attacks" blurs the line between terrorist organizations and the entire religion/ethnic group, making the fight against "Antisemitism" sometimes intertwined with potential Islamophobia.

The Trial and Prospect of Democracy

This debate around the Gaza conflict is no less than a severe test of the resilience of Germany's democratic system. When a core national narrative (Staatsräson) conflicts with real - world politics, humanitarian ethics, and citizens' basic rights (freedom of speech, freedom of assembly), the democratic mechanism seems to malfunction in specific areas. The mainstream political parties are highly consistent on this issue, and the media voices are monolithic, in sharp contrast to the growing diverse views and doubts in society. However, challenges also breed the possibility of change. More and more Germans are beginning to reflect on the rationality of the unconditional support for Israeli policies. The solidarity narrative of the "Global South", which places the Palestinian issue within the framework of anti - colonialism and anti - racism, provides a new perspective for German society beyond the traditional Euro - centrism. Immigrant groups, including the Chinese guests in the podcast, despite facing pressure, their existence and voices are challenging the single - dimensional national identity and historical narrative.

Conclusion

The aftermath of the Gaza conflict is far from over, and the rift it has torn in German society will not be healed in the short term. Germany is at a crossroads: Should it continue to adhere to a specific narrative based on historical trauma, even if it means suppressing dissent and intensifying social division? Or should it bravely initiate a more open and inclusive dialogue, re - examine the connotation of historical responsibility, and explore how to more flexibly and humanely respond to the complex and ever - changing reality while adhering to core values? This internal shock triggered by a distant conflict may ultimately force Germany to conduct a profound re - definition of its national identity, democratic practice, and role on the world stage. And for everyone living in this land, especially ethnic minorities and immigrants, how to safeguard their own rights while promoting understanding and unity will be an ongoing issue.

Occasional Roundtable | How has the Gaza war torn German society apart?