On the night of the 7th in cities across Europe, monuments were lit up in the blue and white of the Israeli flag. It was a show of solidarity with Israel after 1,400 Israelis, mostly unarmed civilians, were killed in a large-scale attack by the Islamic group Hamas.
Leaders from around the world, including French President Macron and Italian Prime Minister Meloni, expressed their unwavering support for Israel.
But the show of solidarity masked deep-rooted social tensions that surfaced in the days that followed. Jews fear the rise of anti-Semitism across Europe. Muslims, on the other hand, fear that they are being identified with Hamas.
Brandenburg Gate in Berlin (October 7th)
Photographer: Fabian Sommer/picture alliance/Getty Images
On the 17th, an explosion at a hospital in Gaza City in the northern Palestinian territory killed 500 people. The number of casualties is expected to rise further, and the situation is likely to worsen.
The risk of worsening relations across the community could further weaken social cohesion in the European Union, already challenged by the war in Ukraine, the rise of populism and the rising cost of living.
Social tensions are particularly acute in Germany, given its recent immigration situation and its role in the Holocaust. The country is also home to one of the largest Palestinian settlements outside the Middle East.
About 40 pro-Hamas demonstrators celebrated the attack on the same night that Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate was lit up in the colors of the Israeli flag.
There have been no major violent incidents in Berlin in the past 10 days.But it was done last weeklocal electionsThe rise of the far-right party “Alternative for Germany (AfD)” in 2017 has raised concerns about whether it will use concerns about the rise of anti-Semitism as a political weapon.
Last week, a teacher was murdered in France, which President Macron blamed as an act of Islamist terrorism. Following the incident, soldiers were sent to various parts of France to assist police.
School in Arras, northern France where teacher was murdered
Photographer: Samuel Aranda/Getty Images
In Austria, Foreign Minister Schallenberg warned that the number of migrants could increase if a ground war broke out in Gaza. Similar concerns were expressed in Greece.
Meanwhile, in Spain, the government of Prime Minister Sánchez, led by the Socialist Workers’ Party, condemns the attack by Hamas, while calling for recognition of a Palestinian state and respect for international human rights in Gaza.
Participants in a demonstration in support of Palestine (October 15, Madrid)
Photographer: David Canales/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Spain has historically taken a sympathetic stance toward Palestine, and more than 10,000 people took part in a demonstration in Madrid on the 15th in support of Palestine.
Related article:
German Chancellor Scholz (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu (October 17, Tel Aviv)
Photographer: Michael Kappeler/picture alliance/Getty Images
news-rsf-original-reference paywall">Original title:Israel-Hamas War Is Stoking Social Divisions in Europe(excerpt)
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2023-10-18 07:12:48
