Media Debates I: Antisemitism vs. Racism in German Media
Saturday, November 19, 2022 10:00 am – 4:00 pm CET/GMT+1K24, Seminar Room 11
Following the German Parliament resolution from 2019, which deemed the Palestinian-led boycott movement (BDS) as antisemitic and prohibited state-funded institutions from collaborating with its supporters, discussions concerning critique of Israeli policies, as well as the nature of racism and antisemitism, have all gained new momentum in German media. The controversies stemming from the cancellation of an event with the Cameroonian philosopher Achille Mbembe in 2020 as well as the criticism of the now infamous Documenta art exhibition in 2022, filled the papers of German feuilleton with fierce debates, often contrasting the national remembrance culture and commitment to combat antisemitism over against global antiracist discourses and historical reckoning of past and ongoing colonial crimes. This workshop will introduce the students to these evolving debates about the German examination of the past, paying particular attention to arguments by proponents and opponents of the notion of singularity in relation to the Holocaust specifically and the antisemitism more broadly. Furthermore participants will practice critical analyses of opinion pieces written on the subject while surveying the wider media landscape in Germany in order to better equip them with an understanding of current political conflicts and the leading media outlets editorial cultures.
Recommended Reading
Comparing Comparisons: From the “Historikerstreit” to the Mbembe Affair- Michael Rothberg https://www.rosalux.de/en/news/id/43395/comparing-comparisons-from-the-historikerstreit-to-the-mbembe-affair
Furor Over Documenta Highlights a Widening Chasm in Germany https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/06/arts/design/documenta-antisemitism.html