Anti-Semitism at universities: Jewish students in the crosshairs of the VSSTÖ!

Anti-Semitism at universities: Jewish students in the crosshairs of the VSSTÖ!

The situation for Jewish students in Austria and Germany continues to worsen after the Association of Socialist Students in Austria (VSSTÖ) announced that it would boycott the Jewish Austrian Students (JöH). This was in response to a JöH proposal to jointly promote a discussion event with Palestinian activist Hamza Howidy, who fled Gaza City. The JöH, which has been the democratically elected representative of Jewish students in Austria since 1947, now finds itself in a precarious situation, especially after a rise in anti-Semitism since October 7, 2023, the date of Hamas' attack on Israel and the escalation of the conflict.

In an anti-Semitic post shared by the “Intifada Camp” Instagram page, Jewish students are described as “genocidal monsters.” As a result, the VSSTÖ called for a boycott against the JöH. The VSSTÖ demands a public statement from the JöH that defames it as a “racist organization,” which the JöH rejects. Alon Ishay, President of the JöH, is shocked by the hostile atmosphere that Jewish students experience at universities.

Fear and uncertainty at universities

The situation for Jewish students in Germany is similarly tense. According to a current situation report by the Jewish Student Union of Germany (JSUD) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Hamas attack has led to a “persistent exceptional situation.” Many students avoid entering campus, hide their Jewish identity and no longer express their opinions in order to protect themselves from massive anti-Semitic hostility. JSUD President Hanna Veiler suggests that many universities have recognized the problem, but the measures taken are often not enough.

The JSUD study documents an alarming increase in anti-Semitic incidents - 151 incidents were recorded at universities in 2023, an increase of 83% compared to the previous year. At the same time, a total of 4,782 anti-Semitic incidents were registered in Germany. Jewish students in Germany feel increasingly unsafe at universities and are forced to distance themselves from their surroundings.

Demands for action

The situation report calls on those responsible for universities and politicians to take measures to ensure that universities become safe places for all students again. Jewish students report widespread insecurity and a significant lack of support from university administrators. Anti-Semitic hostilities and attacks are often put into perspective. The reports show that anti-Semitic content is often inadequately rejected in lecture halls and on campus.

Jewish students often leave university events for fear of attacks, which endangers universities as places for the free formation of opinions. This situation requires not only intervention by university representatives, but also active action by non-Jews in the university communities to take action against hatred of Jews and to show solidarity with those affected.

In view of the current developments, the JöH calls on the VSSTÖ to end the boycott and publicly apologize. This is an appeal that goes far beyond the borders of Austria and Germany and highlights the urgent need to bring anti-Semitism at universities into the focus of the political and social agenda. ots.at reports on the measures that need to be taken. Similar concerns can also be found in the report by zeit.de and hagalil.com, which highlight the dramatic developments documented.