Scapegoating and Antisemitism During the COVID-19 Health Crisis: A Critique of Jewish Identity in Germany

• Authors: Hilal Zeynep Tanrıverdi

Abstracts

EN

Antisemitism has unfortunately persisted throughout history, and the COVID-19 pandemic has not been an exception to this troubling trend. The conditions created by the pandemic, such as fear, uncertainty, and anxiety, have fueled the emergence and spread of conspiracy theories targeting various groups, including Jewish communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a plethora of baseless beliefs and conspiracy theories about its causes, which have contributed to the rise of antisemitism during this time. Pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, inherently create anxiety and uncertainty among populations. This change has affected many areas, both political and social. Conspiracy theories that base the cause of the emergence of COVID-19 on Jewish identity are an essential factor for this study. Tendencies toward antisemitism and scapegoating have supported these conspiracy theories. In this study, how antisemitism manifested itself in media and online discourse during COVID-19 and how Jewish identity is affected by the process.

Keywords

EN

COVID-19 health crisis; Jewish identity; scapegoating; antisemitism

• Publisher: Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek
• Journal: Polish Political Science Yearbook
• Year: 2024
• Issue: 1(53)
• Pages: 55-66

Dates

published

2024

Contributors

author

Hilal Zeynep Tanrıverdi

• Giresun University (Turkey)

• https://orcid.org/0000000312456585

References

• Axelrod, T. (2020, June 10). Antisemitic crimes in Germany increased by 29% in 2021 – gov’t report. The Jerusalem Post. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-709079
• Blackwell, C. S. (1988). German Jewish identity and the German Jewish response to National Socialism, 1933–1939. Purdue University.
• Cinarli, Ýnci. (2016). In Search of a Scapegoat: The Global Corporate Blame Game. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 69–85.
• Connolly, K. (2020, July 21). German Jewish leaders fear the rise of antisemitic conspiracy theories linked to Covid-19. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/21/german-jewish-leadersfear-rise-of-antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-linked-to-covid-19
• European Commission. (2021). The rise of antisemitism online during the pandemic: a study of French and German content. Publications Office of the European Union.
• Federal Association of Departments for Federal Association RIAS. (2021). Antisemitic Incidents in Germany.
• Friedlander, M. L., Friedman, M. L., Miller, M. J., Ellis, M. V., Friedlander, L. K., & Mikhaylov, V. G. (2010). Introducing a brief measure of cultural and religious identification in American Jewish identity. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 57(3), 345–360.
• Gibson, J. L., & Howard, M. M. (2007). Russian Anti-Semitism and the Scapegoating of Jews. British Journal of Political Science, 37(2), 193–223.
• Goldhagen, D. J. (2013). The Devil That Never Dies: the rise and threat of global antisemitism /. First Back Bay trade paperback edition. Ed. Back Bay Books.
• Hall, S. (1991). Ethnicity: Identity and Difference. Radical America, 13(4).
• Laclau, E. (1977). Politics and Ideology in Marxist Theory. New Left Books.
• Milanovic, A. (2022). Antisemitism online: History’s oldest hatred and new media challenges. Filozofija i drustvo, 33(3), 567–582.
• Nickerson, Ch. (2022). Definition of Scapegoat, Scapegoating, and Scapegoat Theory. https://www.simplypsychology.org/scapegoating.html
• OECD. (2020, November 10). The territorial impact of COVID-19: Managing the crisis across levels of government. https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/the-territorial-impact-of-covid-19-managing-the-crisis-across-levels-of-government-d3e314e1/
• Peterson, J. B. (1999). Maps of Meaning: the architecture of belief. Routledge.
• Pickus, K. H. (1995). German Jewish Identity in the Kaiserreich: Observations and Methodological Considerations. Jewish History, 9(2), 73–91.
• Phillips, G. (2018). Antisemitism: how the origins of history’s oldest hatred still hold sway today. https://theconversation.com/antisemitism-how-the-origins-of-historys-oldest-hatred-still-hold-swaytoday-87878
• Spitaler, G. (2017). The Lost Honor of Julius Deutsch: Jewish Difference, ‘Socialist Betrayal‘, and Imperial Loyalty in the 1923 Deutsch-Reinl Trial. Religions, 8(1), 13.
• The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). (2016). Definition of Antisemitism. https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definitions-charters/working-definitionantisemitism
• Williamson, H. (2020, May 19). In Germany, Anti-Semitism Creeps into Covid-19 Protests. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/19/germany-anti-semitism-creeps-covid-19-protests

Identifiers

DOI

10.15804/ppsy202404

Biblioteka Nauki

31343172