The New Normal: Germany’s Antisemitism Crisis Has Become a Structural Reality
The promise of “Never Again” in post-war Germany is currently facing its most severe test since the founding of the Federal Republic. As a journalist observing the deterioration of Jewish life in Europe, it is impossible to ignore the mounting data confirming a grim reality: antisemitism in Germany has not merely spiked due to a singular crisis—it has entrenched itself as a structural feature of the current societal landscape.
More than two and a half years after the Hamas-led atrocities of October 7, 2023, the data remains chilling. While some metrics show marginal fluctuations, the overarching trend is one of sustained, high-level hostility that has left the Jewish community in a state of deep, persistent insecurity.
The “New Normal” in Figures
The most recent data released in May 2026 by the Research and Information Center on Antisemitism (RIAS) paints a harrowing portrait of Berlin and beyond. In the German capital alone, 2,197 antisemitic incidents were recorded in 2025. While this represents a slight dip from the previous year’s surge, the figure is still more than double the levels documented before October 2023.
Other regions are faring even worse. In the state of Hesse, 2025 saw a record 1,099 incidents—an 18% increase from the year prior and nearly six times higher than pre-war levels. These are not merely statistics; they represent a daily onslaught of abuse, harassment, and violence.
According to a comprehensive 2026 report by the Central Council of Jews in Germany, 68% of community leaders now report feeling unsafe. Perhaps most damning is the erosion of societal solidarity: in 2023, 62% of Jewish communities felt supported by civil society; by 2026, that figure had cratered to just 35%. The early displays of sympathy that followed the October 7 attacks have faded, replaced by an unsettling indifference that allows antisemitism to be masked as “criticism of Israel.”
The Erosion of Public Safety
The impact on daily life is profound. Jews in Germany are increasingly withdrawing from public visibility. Wearing a kippah, a Star of David, or speaking Hebrew on public transit has become a calculated risk. RIAS reports detailing physical assaults—including spittings, slapings, and violent snatching of religious garments—have become tragically routine.
The atmosphere at public demonstrations has also become a focal point of this hostility. In 2025, Berlin saw 239 public assemblies where antisemitic chants, banners equating Zionism with Nazism, and anti-Jewish slurs were documented. When such rhetoric is permitted to permeate the public square, it inevitably lowers the threshold for further violence.
A Failure of Responsibility
As we look at these numbers, the question remains: why is this happening in a country that has made the protection of Jewish life a core national obligation?
The crisis is multifaceted, but the normalization of anti-Jewish hatred across the social spectrum is undeniable. From right-wing extremists utilizing swastika graffiti to fulfill their hateful fantasies, to segments of the population—including those who claim to act in the name of political protest—who have internalized and externalized virulent anti-Zionism, the result is the same: the Jewish community is being pushed to the margins of German society.
We are witnessing a “societal climate” where antisemitic statements and actions go far too often unchallenged. As Hesse’s antisemitism commissioner, Uwe Becker, starkly noted, “The threat to Jewish life is worse than at any time since the Holocaust.”
This is not a failure of policing alone; it is a failure of social resilience. When 21% of Jewish communities in Germany are forced to cancel events due to security concerns, the state is effectively failing its democratic mission. The “new normal” described by Dr. Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, is not something to be managed—it is an untenable condition that demands an urgent, uncompromising response from German leadership.
The Jewish community in Germany is not looking for sympathy; they are looking for a society that lives up to its historical responsibility. Until the normalization of hate is met with systemic, brave, and consistent opposition, the “new normal” will continue to threaten the very foundations of pluralistic society in Germany.
