Anti-Semitism debate escalated: Jewish students defend themselves!

Anti-Semitism debate escalated: Jewish students defend themselves!

Österreich - After the election victory of the Association of Socialist Students (VSSTÖ) In Austria it is to consider significant tensions between this and the Jewish Austrian university: D innerness (Jöh) . The Jöh accuses the VSSTÖ to promote anti -Semitic tendencies and speaks of an "unimaginable low" in the development of anti -Semitism. The trigger is leaked chats from a WhatsApp group in which Yüh members were denied pro-Palestinian protesting. Jöh chairman Alon Ishay emphasized that the moderators of the group rejected stressful content and campaigned for anti-discriminatory values.

These chats were published in a public contribution known as hate posting on Instagram, which defamates the Jöh as "genocidal monster" and "lobby of the Zionist entity". In response to the allegations, the VSSTÖ called for a clear public opinion of the Jöh on these incidents in order to continue the collaboration. While the Jöh rejects this claim, it sees herself as responsible and correctly acting. According to their statement, they have punished repressive comments in the leaked chats and deleted what the Jöh sees as an expression of a serious use of anti -Semitism.

reactions and allegations

The VSSTÖ, on the other hand, has decidedly distanced itself from the anti-Semitism allegations. The Federal President of the VSSTÖ, Miriam Amann, said that there was no space for such views in the association. She expressed the desire for a continued appreciative relationship with the Jöh, but presupposes that it makes a statement on the leaked chats. At the same time, the VSStö was accused of participating in a demonstration that was organized by groups that disparage the Jöh.

The Jöh also criticizes that the VSStö captures a controversial alliance, the “offensive against the right (OGR)”, which is considered problematic by other organizations. This situation exacerbates hostility that Jewish students feel at the universities, in particular since the increase in anti -Semitic incidents after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

research on anti -Semitism at universities

In the middle of these tensions, Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) launched a research project to explore anti-Semitism in Austria. The project, under the direction of Gerald Lamprecht, professor of Jewish history at the University of Graz, is striving for a comprehensive understanding of the current anti -Semitic activities since 1945. Lamprecht emphasizes the need to research and clarify new forms of anti -Semitism, especially since anti -Semitic discourses are often associated with the Middle East conflict.

The Jöh offered an anti-Semitism workshop, among other things, which was rejected by the VSSTÖ. Alon Ishay was shocked by the VSSTÖ's boycott against the Jöh and the resulting enemy atmosphere for Jewish students at the universities. The OG scientists agree that dealing with anti-Semitism at universities is an urgent social task.