Condemn, condone, converge: German extremist and conspiracist responses to the Israel-Gaza crisis

The document analyzes how various extremist groups in Germany—including far-right, far-left, Islamist, and QAnon-affiliated actors—exploited the Israel-Gaza crisis to spread disinformation, promote hate speech, and polarize political debate. While these groups differ in their targets, they converge in their distrust of the German government's response. Key activities include the AfD's internal struggle to unify its position, Samidoun's celebration of Hamas violence in Berlin, and the spread of 'deep state' and 'third World War' conspiracy theories by QAnon-affiliated channels.

• The Alternative for Germany (AfD) failed to maintain a unified position on the crisis, with internal disagreements between leadership calling for diplomacy and others emphasizing the fight against "Islamist terror". Despite this, the party's reactions were characterized by xenophobic rhetoric, including calls for pro-Palestinian protestors to "go back where they came from".
• Far-right actors beyond the AfD, such as the magazine 'Compact' and parties like 'Der III. Weg' and 'Junge Nationalisten', labeled Israel a "terror state". Some promoted the 'Great Replacement Theory' by conditioning solidarity with Palestinians on the liberation of "German areas occupied by Arabs".
• Far-right and conspiracy-focused media, specifically 'Compact', disseminated theories that the October 7 attack was staged to justify a ground offensive or was a "deep state" operation. Other narratives suggested that German support for Israeli nuclear capabilities could trigger a third World War.
• Far-left responses were mixed; while some condemned Hamas' crimes, the Samidoun Network celebrated the violence by distributing sweets in Berlin and claiming the "victory of the Intifada".
• Islamist extremist groups, including Muslim Interaktiv and Generation Islam, condoned Hamas' violence and accused the German government of hypocrisy and "state repression". They utilized social media to claim the IDF used white phosphorus and conducted airstrikes on the al-Ahli hospital.
• QAnon-affiliated channels on Telegram spread antisemitic tropes and claims that the conflict was a precursor to a third World War intended to establish a new world religion, citing a purported 1871 letter by Albert Pike.

APA

Institute for Strategic Dialogue (2023). Condemn, condone, converge: German extremist and conspiracist responses to the Israel-Gaza crisis. https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/condemn-condone-converge-german-extremist-and-conspiracist-responses-to-the-israel-gaza-crisis/

Chicago

Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Condemn, condone, converge: German extremist and conspiracist responses to the Israel-Gaza crisis. 2023. https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/condemn-condone-converge-german-extremist-and-conspiracist-responses-to-the-israel-gaza-crisis/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |title=Condemn, condone, converge: German extremist and conspiracist responses to the Israel-Gaza crisis |date=23 November 2023 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/condemn-condone-converge-german-extremist-and-conspiracist-responses-to-the-israel-gaza-crisis/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforstrategicdialogue2023condemn, author = {{Institute for Strategic Dialogue}}, title = {{Condemn, condone, converge: German extremist and conspiracist responses to the Israel-Gaza crisis}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/condemn-condone-converge-german-extremist-and-conspiracist-responses-to-the-israel-gaza-crisis/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }