More than 70 years after the horrific events of the Holocaust, a new form of anti-Semitism is spreading in different parts of the world. Nowhere is this more evident than in Europe, where increases in hate crimes and inflammatory speech mark a worrying trend. Anti-Semitism in Europe, produced by Deutsche Welle’s documentary series, travels to Berlin, Paris and Warsaw to uncover the possible motives behind its emergence and the measures being taken to curb its spread.
Berlin has the largest Jewish population in Germany. It was here that the Nazis first organized the extermination of European Jews. Today, the past has become a prologue. In 2017, nearly a thousand verbal and physical attacks against Jews were recorded in the capital. The troubling statistic represents a 60 percent increase from the previous year, suggesting a growing mainstream wave of anti-Semitism. Critics claim that the rise of the far-right AfD party has made those biases even clearer.
The same dynamic applies to Poland, where emerging nationalist movements have taken over the political and social landscape.
Many French Jews fear for their safety in the face of recent mass shootings, vandalism and anti-Semitic hate speech. Many emigrated to Israel to escape the increasingly harsh climate.
As detailed in the film, the recent increase in the Muslim population also poses challenges to multicultural integration. The film charts some of the efforts to bridge these divides, as activists work to create a dialogue of understanding between Muslim and Jewish citizens.
The film contains interviews with political insiders, social activists and members of these racist groups. You talk about populations that feel underserved and left behind. The poison of racism is the outlet for their grievances, and Jews are increasingly the scapegoat for their frustration.
For many, the idea of anti-Semitism seems to be a distant past. But it’s clearly alive and well. If ignored, insidious traces of racism could once again become the norm. To combat this underlying reality, anti-Semitism in Europe calls for more open dialogue and enthusiastic outreach.
Directed by: Andreas Morell, Johanna Hasse
