Europäische Jugendbildungs- und Jugendbegegnungsstätte Weimar

Anti-Semitism and the Middle East conflict (and the German debate about it)

Time required: 3 to 5 hours
Target group: Young people aged 14 and over and young adults, multipliers, educators
Expected prior knowledge: none

Background

Since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, an increasingly bitter battle has been raging in educational institutions, in the media and on the streets between camps that accuse each other of either anti-Semitism or racism. The often highly emotional debate poses a challenge for educators. The question of which positions constitute anti-Semitism and which do not is important, but hardly sufficient to understand the debate.

Procedure

In the workshop, we therefore want to start with a definition of anti-Semitism, look at what characterises it and what distinguishes it from racism, for example. In order to understand the context of the debate as it is currently being conducted in Europe, it is necessary to look at the theoretical currents for whose clashes the Middle East conflict acts as a focal point.

On the one hand, this is a critique of anti-Semitism that is rooted either in Western liberalism or in Western European Marxism. On the other hand, there is post-colonial theory, which has set out to question the foundations of these Western traditions of thought. The depth of this debate and the methodology used can be customised. The workshop is not intended to have the character of a university seminar.

Aims

At the end of the workshop, participants should be able to understand the opposing ideas in the European debate on the Middle East conflict.
They will understand what constitutes anti-Semitism and racism – and thus be able to form their own opinion on the issue of anti-Semitism and the Middle East conflict.

Notes

• The workshop is offered in German and English.
• It can be booked as an face-to-face workshop and as an online workshop.

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