Ep. 24: The Legacies of Antisemitism and Racism: Racism in the Perception of Israel/Palestine (Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Naika Foroutan – Humboldt University Berlin)

Guest: Prof. Dr. Naika Foroutan, Humboldt University of Berlin / German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM) Hosts: Efe & Leif Bio: Prof. Naika Foroutan is a leading German scholar of migration. She is Professor of Integration Research and Social Policy at Humboldt University of Berlin and leads the Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research (BIM). Since 2017, she has directed the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM), Germany’s largest migration research network. Her work focuses on post-migrant societies, minority and Islam policies, radicalization, racism, and Islamism. She has received multiple awards, including the Berlin Integration Prize (2011), Fritz Behrens Foundation Research Prize (2012), Höffmann Academic Prize (2016), and an honorary doctorate from the University of Lund (2025). In this episode: October 7, 2023, marked a turning point: antisemitism and racism surged worldwide and in Germany, while the situation in Gaza deepened polarization. Prof. Foroutan presents findings from the National Monitoring of Discrimination and Racism, showing how racialized perceptions shape media, protests, and institutions. She discusses antisemitic content on TikTok, the interplay of war and prejudice, and the instrumentalization of antisemitism for anti-migration agendas. She addresses double standards in free speech, pressures on universities, risks of authoritarian politics, and social media’s amplifying role. Sharing personal family experiences in Iran during the 12-day war, she concludes with a call for a “de-escalation of language” and emphasizes solidarity and pluralism as essential to countering antisemitism and racism without undermining fundamental rights. This episode was recorded on July 3, 2025. Links: Prof. Dr. Naika Foroutan: https://tinyurl.com/26uhv5k3 German Center for Integration and Migration Research: https://www.dezim-institut.de/ Nationaler Rassismus und Diskriminierungsmonitor: https://www.rassismusmonitor.de/ Annual Report on Islamophobia 2024 (CLAIM Alliance): https://www.claim-allianz.de/aktuelles/publikationen/ Annual Report of Antisemitic Incidents 2024 (RIAS): https://tinyurl.com/yhr9chjf Comparison of Antisemitism Definitions (IHRA, JDA, Nexus): https://tinyurl.com/48tdkus6 Please also check out our other episodes for multiple perspectives. Disclaimer: Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast team. Technical legal terms are explained in Episode 36 with Prof. Claus Kreß; contested histories are addressed by Prof. Gudrun Krämer in Episode 21.