Culture Clash - How the Gaza war divides artists in Germany

October 7, 2023 changed everything, including the cultural scene. Intellectuals and creative artists are deeply divided over the question of how they want to - or are allowed to - position themselves on the Hamas terror attack on Israel and Israel's military response.

Anyone who expresses criticism of Israel's policies quickly comes under suspicion of anti-Semitism in the West - especially in Germany, which sees itself as having a special responsibility for the Jewish state of Israel after the crimes of the Holocaust. However, the willingness to accept this responsibility also has problematic consequences: Some Jewish intellectuals and artists who criticize Israel or speak out for the Palestinian cause are labeled as anti-Semitic and canceled - at universities, in the art world or in the club world. Some of those affected say it amounts to censorship.

Meanwhile, angry demonstrations against Israel are taking place on the streets and at universities in the USA and Europe. It is often left-wingers who show solidarity with Palestine. Within post-colonial studies, with major contributions from the Global South, Israel is often denounced as a colonial power.

A constructive dialogue seems to be a very distant prospect. What are the roots of these deep divisions? We give a hearing to opposing views - including those of sociologist and bestselling author Eva Illouz, reknowned artist Candice Breitz and historian Moshe Zimmermann. We talk to Palestinian cultural figures such as photographer Steve Sabella and Joana Osman, who has written a novel about her family history. And we look for a way to make dialog and understanding possible. Despite deep traumas on both sides, there are people who attempt the impossible. And perhaps the division is not really between Israelis and Palestinians, but between those who want war and those who seek peace.

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00:00 Introduction
01:20 Title: How the Gaza War Divides the Cultural Scene
05:24 Culture Clashes
08:22 Germany: A Special Case
13:21 Worldwide Protests
20:13 Danger From the Right
23:07 Is There Any Hope?