Likesfor Antisemitism
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JCA 2020 (DOI: 10.26613/jca/3.1.41) Likes for Antisemitism: The Alternative für Deutschland and Its Posts on Facebook Monika Hübscher Abstract The Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD) entry into the German Bundestag in September 2017 represented a shift in post-1945 German political tradition and the social acceptance of a party from the far right. During the election campaign, the AfD relied heavily on the social media mostly using Facebook to spread its agenda. This research on the AfD’s attitude toward National Socialism, the Holocaust and antisemitism on Facebook shows that the party utilizes antisemitic stereotypes to defame political opponents and that further, the AfD instrumentalizes events from the Third Reich to elevate perceived positive aspects and strives to rehabilitate certain facets of National Socialism. The article first shows how the AfD uses Facebook to spread its unfiltered political views. Then, three case studies posted by the AfD will be analyzed. Additionally, the comments under the Facebook posts are taken into account to show how their followers perceive antisemitic posts made by AfD officials. Keywords antisemitism, social media, Alternative für Deutschland, German politics INTRODUCTION but only became a successful party during the On August 12, 2019, it was made public that a so-called Refugee Crisis in 2015. The AfD was member of a group of AfD followers would be elected to the German parliament (Bundestag) charged for incitement of the people and distur- with 12.6% of the vote, thus far exceeding bance of the dead. He is accused of denying the the 5% electoral threshold. Such a high result existence of gas chambers and the relativiza- represented a breach in Germany’s post-World tion of Nazi crimes during a visit to the former War II political history, considering percep- Sachsenhausen concentration camp. At the tions of the AfD that range from populist to time of the visit, the man was an official guest radical right-wing. The success of the AfD has of Fraction Leader and Member of Parliament sparked a public debate about national identity, Alice Weidel.1 This incident presents an oppor- national pride, racism, the normalization of tunity to look back at similar events to trace how antisemitism and the memory of the Holocaust the AfD became what it is today: a party openly in Germany. During the election campaign, shunned and criticized by the Jewish commu- the AfD relied heavily on social media, espe- nity, despite all its efforts to present itself as “a cially Facebook, to spread its agenda. While natural political home” for Jewish people.2 political parties’ official statements and publi- Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) cations adhere to a certain standard, such as was founded as a response to the Euro Crisis conforming to the constitution, Facebook Monika Hübscher offers the possibility for politicians to share Primary Sources their opinion in an unrestrained way. But, unlike in other platforms such as traditional The data was collected between January and interviews, where a given opinion could result mid-September 2017, prior to the elections in critical questions or responses, the AfD has in Germany. The four cases chosen offer a full control of their content on Facebook. Thus, rich historical context for my analysis. These Facebook is a useful tool to examine the more comprise two caricatures from AfD leaders’ uncensored attitudes of the AfD towards the official Facebook profiles: one posted by Frauke memory of the Holocaust, National Socialism Petry, speaker of the AfD at that time, and and antisemitism. For this research, Facebook another posted by Björn Höcke, chairman of posts from the AfD’s official Facebook account the AfD fraction in Thuringia’s state parliament and the public profiles of senior figures of the (Landtag). party will serve as the primary sources. The Höcke’s post is interesting due to his past analysis of these case studies shows enduring as a history teacher and, thus, the expected antisemitism within the AfD, the importance familiarity with the history of visual antisem- of social media as a tool of disseminating such itism. The scandal of this meme lies within ideologies, and that German society at large the fact that despite his assumed knowledge, continues to struggle with the remains of he chose to post it, and it remains on his National Socialism. Additionally, both social Facebook account to this day. Höcke is a media and the AfD have contributed to a radical agitator in the AfD who repeatedly normalization of antisemitic transgressions. In draws attention to himself through scan- its gravest consequence, antisemitism has mani- dals. In the years 2016 and 2017, he tried fested in real-life physical violence, as in the to participate in the memorial service for recent assault on a synagogue on Yom Kippur the victims of the Holocaust in the memo- in Halle, Germany, in which two people were rial of the Buchenwald concentration camp, murdered in the course of the attack. even though he had been officially banned TABLE 1. Characteristics of primary data sources. Name Position Date Post Reactions Comments Shares Views* (former Likes) Björn Chairman of the 22.02.2017 Meme / 981 485 425 - Höcke AfD fraction of the Caricature Thuringia state parliament Frauke Former speaker 01.04.2017 Meme / 3,038 413 1,085 - Petry of the AfD; left the Caricature party in 2017 Beatrix Member of the 20.07.2017 Vlog 572 92 346 14,592 von German parliament Storch Alexander Co-Leader of the 09.09.2017 Video 151 38 164 9,646 Gauland AfD; Member of the German parliament Source: Author’s own compilation. 12 Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism Likes for Antisemitism before. Additionally, in 2016, the sociologist the timeframe of the research and thus her post Andreas Kemper conducted a language anal- remains significant. ysis of Höcke’s speeches and publications and This article also presents analysis of a video found that Björn Höcke has written extreme blog (vlog) posted by Beatrix von Storch, right-wing articles with ethnonationalist Member of the Bundestag, on her official and antisemitic content under the pseud- AfD profile. Von Storch’s positions regarding onym Ludolf Ladig.3 Just ten days before the National Socialism are particularly valu- International Holocaust Memorial Day, on able for this analysis since she is the AfD’s January 17, 2017, Höcke provoked a media Commissioner for Antisemitism. Von Storch outcry with a speech that he gave in Dresden. is regarded as a socially conservative Christian In his speech, he referred to the “Memorial to activist who opposes legal equality for same-sex the Murdered Jews of Europe” in Berlin as a couples as well as abortion rights and reli- memorial of shame. He continued by saying gious freedom for Muslims. From her point that Germany’s culture of memory is a “stupid of view, Muslims and Islam are the sole source coping culture” that needs a 180-degree of antisemitism, so to her the AfD is the only turnaround of its politics of memory of the German party that has precise positions against Holocaust and National Socialism. He further antisemitism, accomplished vis-à-vis their anti- called for a lively culture of memory, which Islam agenda. above all focuses on the great achievements of The last example to be analysed below is a German ancestors.4 speech given by Alexander Gauland, chairman While Björn Höcke and his extreme faction of the AfD in Brandenburg’s Landtag and have gradually radicalized the AfD, Frauke Member of the Bundestag and thus a senior Petry stood for the moderate wing of the party. figure, representing the viewpoints of the AfD. Because of their seeming differences, their posts Gauland, a former CDU member, plays a signif- are essential for this analysis as both still opted icant role in the party’s radicalization, with to publish a caricature that featured antisemitic connections to Germany’s far-right members stereotypes. In an interview for the Israeli news and organization. Although he does not in 2016, Petry rejected the claim that the AfD have an active social media account on his own, is particularly attractive to people with antise- he is regularly featured in posts from the profile mitic tendencies and vowed that Germany has of the AfD in the German parliament and the a specific responsibility in handling antisemi- post which is subject of this analysis was derived tism. Further, she stated that when antisemitism official Facebook profile of der Flügel, a radical appears within the AfD, it is dealt with accord- wing within the AfD. ingly and described her unsuccessful pursuit to All four representatives are popular figures connect to the Jewish population in Germany within the AfD and well-known in the general and Israel.5 During her tenure, she was actively public and media. Thus, their output sheds involved in attempts to remove Höcke from the light not only on their agenda but on what AfD for his antisemitic antics and ultimately has become acceptable in public discourse and indicated the radical right-wing tendencies of German society after the Holocaust. Therefore, the party as her reason to leave it. All of these this article presents analysis of these cases in factors contrast with her Facebook post which both their historical and direct context, paying contains a caricature with antisemitic features specific attention to language and linguistic and thus make it an interesting case study. devices, as well as to their treatment of themes Although she has since left the AfD, Frauke such as the Holocaust, National Socialism, and Petry’s tenure as AfD Chairwoman falls into antisemitism. JCA | Vol. 3 | No. 1 | Spring 2020 13 Monika Hübscher The AfD on Facebook and the Identitarian movement11 that are under observation by the police for the Office for the The AfD is the most successful political party Protection of the Constitution.