Anti -Semitism to universities: Jewish students in the crosshair of the VSSTÖ!

Anti -Semitism to universities: Jewish students in the crosshair of the VSSTÖ!

Deutschland - The situation for Jewish students in Austria and Germany continues to come to a head after the Association has announced socialist students in Austria (VSSTÖ) to boycott the Jewish Austrian University: Inside (Jöh). This was done in response to a proposal of the Jöh to apply a discussion event with the Palestinian activist Hamza Howidy, who fled from Gaza City. The Jöh, which has represented the democratically elected representation of Jewish students in Austria since 1947, now sees itself in a precarious situation, especially after an increase in anti -Semitism since October 7, 2023, the date of Hamas on Israel and the escalation of the conflict.

In an anti-Semitic posting that was spread by the Instagram page of the "Intifada Camp", Jewish students are referred to as "genocidal monster". As a result, the VSSTö against the Jöh. The VSSTÖ calls for a public statement from the Jöh, which defamates it as a "racist organization", which the Jöh rejects. Alon Ishay, President of the Jöh, is shocked by the enemy 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 management report by the Jewish Student Union Germany (JSUD) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC), Hamas' raid has led to an "constant exceptional situation". Many students avoid entering the campus, hide their Jewish identity and no longer express their opinion to protect themselves from massive anti -Semitic hostility. The President of the JSUD, Hanna Veiler, indicates that many universities have recognized the problem, but the measures taken often are often not sufficient.

The JSUD study documents an alarming increase in anti -Semitic incidents - in 2023 151 incidents were recorded at universities, 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. The Jewish students in Germany feel increasingly uncertain at universities and are forced to gain distance from their environment.

demands for measures

The management report demands measures from university managers and politics that ensure that universities are again secure places for all students. Jewish students report a widespread uncertainty and a significant lack of support from the university lines. Anti -Semitic hostility and attacks are often relativized. The reports show that anti -Semitic content in lecture halls and on campus are often rejected inadequate.

Jewish students often leave the university events out of fear of attacks, which endangers the universities as places of the free opinion formation process. This situation not only requires interventions by university representatives, but also an active action by non-Jews in the university communities in order to become active against hatred of Jews and to set a sign of solidarity with those affected.