German Jews experience 'new anti-Semitic normality' after October 7

Germany's Jewish community is confronted with a "new anti-Semitic normality" three years after the October 7 attacks on Israel, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency said on Monday. 

The agency released a new report on how Jewish and Israeli communities experienced the Hamas-led terrorist attacks and its aftermath, saying that exclusion and discrimination were coming from all parts of German society. 

"The study reveals the full extent of anti-Semitic discrimination," said Ferda Ataman, the independent federal commissioner for anti-discrimination. 

"Anyone who openly admits to being Jewish or coming from Israel risks existential consequences - from disadvantage when looking for housing or work, to being refused service in a restaurant, to bullying in nurseries and classrooms."

The research, conducted over two years, included interviews with 118 people. It found that the attacks conveyed that even Jews living in Germany were not safe and could be a legitimate target.

In the aftermath of the attack, participants said they encountered indifference and silence among friends and acquaintances, "or an immediate resort to routine interpretations of the Middle East conflict."

Many described the experience of being denied not only interpersonal sympathy and empathy, but also being addressed directly as Jews and treated as representatives of Israel. 

"They are confronted with reinterpretations and relativizations of the massacre, the hostage-taking and the rocket terrorism," the study said, along with "one-sided accusations directed at Israel."