In honor of former IES Director, Gerald Feldman, the Gerald D. and Norma Feldman Annual Lecture hosted by the Institute of European Studies was held this year at the Bancroft Hotel. The lecture was given by Dirk Moses, a professor of international relations at the City College of New York. He has taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, and the University of Sydney. His work and publications focus primarily on German history, memory, and genocide. In addition to his current research and teaching, he edits the Journal of Genocide Research. In addition to Professor Moses’ extensive knowledge in the field of German studies, he is also a former student of Gerald Feldman and worked closely with Professor Feldman while at Berkeley. The lecture was well attended with about 63 attendees and delved into the debates surrounding the tragic situation in the Middle East, particularly focusing on Germany's memory culture and its relationship with Israel. It also discussed the German government's policies and historical justice issues that contribute to shaping this memory culture.
Professor Moses explored the evolution of German identity, and highlighted a new subjectivity based on ancestor worship, specifically in regard to Jewish victims rather than Nazi ancestors. This shift in perspective was discussed in relation to support for multiculturalism in the 1990s and the cleansing element of the moral revolution against Nazism. Moses emphasized the deepening attachment to Israel as a sanctuary, with German identity becoming dependent on the relationship with Holocaust victims. Moving to the post-2000 context, Moses considered changes in citizenship law and the impact of 9/11, which heightened the issue of Islamophobia in Germany. Examining the involvement of both policy makers and the general population, Moses questioned whether the deportation of Arab migrants replicates Germany's past in an attempt to protect German memory culture. He also drew attention to the impact of the conflict in the middle east on people in Berlin and the subsequent mobilization of Palestinians, along with the rise of antisemitic rhetoric and protests, signaling a potential for further polarization both politically and socially within Germany.
Moses then discussed the portrayal of the Gaza conflict in the media and the projection of German guilt relating to the holocaust onto Arab people. It highlights the conflation of pro-Palestine sentiments with antisemitism, contributing to a perceived increase in racism within Germany. Fears within the Jewish community are expressed, with concerns that the current crises in Israel are being exploited to carry out antisemitic agendas. Moses also touched upon the violent backlash from the police against demonstrators, emphasizing the targeting of Arabs. Moses raised troubling questions about the telos of German memory culture, which may suggest a complete approval for Israel’s current domestic policy, thereby underscoring the complexity and controversy surrounding the intertwined issues of German memory culture and patterns of exclusion.