„Importierter Antisemitismus“? Differenzierende Wahrnehmungen in Deutschland lebender Jüdinnen und Juden zum politisch-islamischen Antisemitismus als Problem und Debatte

The present mixed-methods study examines the diverse perspectives of Jews living in Germany on the issue of political-Islamic antisemitism, as well as the societal debate surrounding “imported antisemitism.” Based on a survey experiment (n = 295), the study first demonstrates that the perceived threat is seen as less severe and that the distinction between “Muslims” and “radical Muslims” increases the more the focus shifts from general problem awareness to specific personal experiences. In particular, respondents with left-leaning political views and higher levels of education tend to differentiate more strongly between “Muslims” and “radical Muslims” in their perception of threats. The qualitative interviews reveal a critical stance towards the debate on “imported antisemitism” while simultaneously pointing to the real problem of political-Islamic antisemitism. The societal debate is often perceived as a form of moral reassurance for both right- and left-wing groups, with right-wing groups projecting their own antisemitism onto Muslims, and left-wing groups viewing antisemitism exclusively as a right-wing extremist phenomenon, thereby overlooking political-Islamic antisemitism. The respondents tend to associate antisemitism among Muslims and the resulting threat more with a radical interpretation of Islam than with the Islamic religion or the Muslim community as a whole.