Details

The German Far Right and October 7

The project examines responses from the far right in Germany to the Hamas massacres on October 7, 2023, and the war in Gaza. The focus lies on antisemitism and comparisons with other crisis phenomena.

The Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023 - which saw over 1,200 people murdered and tortured and 250 kidnaped - marked not only a turning point in Israel, but became a catalyst for antisemitic mobilization worldwide. While not all antisemitic incidents since October 7th can be attributed to far-right groups, the German far right has systematically cultivated antisemitic hostility for years and remains central to antisemitic agitation. Against this backdrop, the research project "The Extreme Right in Germany and October 7th" systematically examines for the first time how far-right actors, from neo-Nazis and the AfD to völkisch settlers and Turkish ultranationalists, have ideologically appropriated the massacre to reinforce antisemitic narratives.

The study focuses on how Hamas' terror has been condemned, justified, glorified, or reframed as a "liberation struggle" in far-right discourse, analyzing key antisemitic rhetorical strategies: the relativization of violence, the adaptation of old antisemitic conspiracy myths to Israel and the current conflict, and the propagandistic equation of Israeli self-defense with Nazi crimes. It also investigates far-right ideological framings of geopolitical actors, such as the roles of the U.S. and Iran.

The research team at the Chairs of Political Science and Comparative Government (Prof. Dr. Lars Rensmann, Nikolai Schreiter) and Sociology (Prof. Dr. Karin Stögner, Elke Rajal) employ content and discourse analysis to examine responses to and discourses about the Hamas massacres within the German far right and the functions they serve. For comparative purposes, connections are drawn to previous antisemitic crisis narratives (such as during the COVID-19 pandemic or in the context of climate crisis) in order to reveal both continuities and breaks in modern antisemitism and the far right. Another key emphasis lies on its connectivity to mainstream society and political circles that consider themselves progressive.

Symbolic image: Adobe Stock

About the German Postcode Lottery

The German Postcode Lottery is a social lottery, which means that at least 30 per cent of all ticket sales go to projects promoting equal opportunities, social cohesion, and nature and environmental protection. Since its inception in Germany in 2016, the Postcode Lottery has already supported around 6,500 social and green projects with more than € 325 million. A advisory board under the chairperson of Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and Professor Dr. Rita Süssmuth decides which projects are selected. Further information is available at: https://www.postcode-lotterie.de/guter-zweck.

Principal Investigator(s) at the University	Prof. Dr. Karin Stögner (Lehrstuhl für Soziologie) Prof. Dr. Lars Rensmann (Lehrstuhl für Politikwissenschaft mit Schwerpunkt Vergleichende Regierungslehre)
Project period	01.10.2025 - 30.09.2026
Source of funding	Postcode Lotterie DT gGmbH
Projektnummer	FV-7911; FA-19403
Förderhinweis	This project is funded by the German Postcode Lottery.