From ‘Terror State’ to Part of the ‘Jewish-Christian Civilisation’: Exploring Diversity in the German Far Right’s Position Towards Israel

Abstract

Recent shifts in West Europe have resulted in increasingly pro-Israel far-right parties. While this phenomenon remains under-theorised, existing research suggests the far right’s position is not uniform, and support for Israel is limited to contemporary radical right parties. By contrast, traditional extreme-right parties remain hostile towards Israel. To substantiate these claims, the article focuses on Germany and compares the Israel/Palestine discourse of the radical right Alternative für Deutschland and the extreme right Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands. The article shows how the parties adopt diametrically opposed positions, with the AfD vehemently supporting Israel while the NPD frames Israel as a pariah state. Yet, the article also highlights a similarity in the parties’ discourse, with both framing a racialised ‘other’ as ‘our’ enemy. As such, the article’s findings suggest the radical/extreme divide needs to be treated with caution. Despite adopting contrasting positions towards Israel, German far-right parties continue to have much in common.