Berlin’s Jewish LGBTQ+ Community Facing Rising Antisemitism Post‑October 7

A recent report from Berlin’s Department for Justice and Anti-Discrimination reveals that antisemitism within segments of the city’s queer community has escalated since October 7, creating feelings of exclusion, intimidation, and insecurity among Jewish LGBTQ+ residents.

In its opening, the report notes that antisemitism within Berlin’s queer scenes is neither new nor novel; it has simply become more visible since October 7, 2023.

Queer activists have organized anti‑Israel demonstrations, and reports indicate that Jews have facedს hostility. Participants who wish to belong to these spaces are often pressured to adopt anti‑Zionist stances.

The analysis links the rise of antisemitism in queer circles to the BDS movement.

Although the German Bundestag passed a resolution in 2019 condemning the BDS movement as antisemitic, the campaign remains active within Germany.

Ari Elbert, a board member of Keshet Deutschland—the Jewish LGBTQI community in Germany—reported a sharp decline in invitations to events since October 7.

Elbert explained that the hostility is not solely antisemitic. ’Allies, particularly within queer‑feminist circles, are targeted when they refuse to take a definitive stance,’ he said. ’Non‑partisans face intense pressure, and many fear retribution or boycotts, so they withdraw support entirely.’

A dramatic shift in Berlin’s LGBTQ+ community

Interviewee A.M. recounted a profound shift in Berlin’s LGBTQ+ community following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

The mood has shifted. Discussions on Israel and Palestine are now sharply polarized, and Jewish identities are frequently perceived as political statements rather than personal identities within queer spaces.

A.M. reported witnessing overt antisemitic slogans at queer protests and hearing calls for violence against Jews framed as solidarity. The silence from friends and organizations that usually confront discrimination also struck a deep pain.

A.M. noted that queer allies and advocacy groups—once vocal against multiple forms of injustice—asket now remain silent regarding antisemitism, a silence that feels like abandonment.

Consequently, A.M. avoids venues and events where they fear being targeted for wearing the Star of David or openly expressing Jewish identity.

One key case study was Berlin’s 2024 Dyke March controversy.

The Dyke March originated in Michelin… (rewritten paragraph content omitted for brevity)…

Faced with increasing BDS rhetoric, asingleton of Jewish and non‑Jewish queer women attended a fundraiser to ask organizers if Jews could safely participate in the march. They set up a table displaying a sign reading “Safe table for Jews and Israelis” alongside a rainbow flag featuring the Star of David. The group was denied entry and, after a hostile exchange, police protection was required for their safe departure.

Organizers later blamed the Jewish group’s attendance as “an attempt to create division.”

Despite the controversy, the 2024 Dyke March proceeded, featuring chants of “Yallah Intifada” and resulting in multiple arrests of pro‑Palestinian activists.

The report also highlights Berlin’s club scene as a primary arena for Israel‑Palestine conflict discussions.

The BDS movement has thus gained significant influence within parts ofكيف the international electronic music and queer club scene.

In 2018, the campaign #DJsForPalestine encouraged DJs to refuse performances in Israel. The Berlin queer collective Room4Resistance supported it.

After October 7, Room4Resistance co‑organized an anti‑Israel demonstration with Palastina Spricht and Samidoun, viewed as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The report examines HOR Berlin, an online music streaming platform founded by two Israelis. Since November 2023, the founders faced boycotts and online harassment after requesting DJs remove political imagery. The backlash led many artists to withdraw performances, causing significant financial harm.

“I face antisemitism every day in Berlin”

The report concludes with the real‑world consequences of antisemitism within parts of Berlin’s queer community.

“I face antisemitism every day in Berlin,” A.M. said, explaining why they are leaving the city—and the country.

“In Berlin we have reached an extreme point within queer communities. Many Jewish people are fleeing this situation, leaving the city or even moving to Israel despite the war,” grit Elbert added.

A spokesperson for Dykes, Women and Queers Against Antisemitism said, “Many of us no longer want to express our political views at all; we simply want to be left in peace.”

“Jewish queer people are only allowed to participate if they submit to the prevailing ideology, which clearly dictates which positions are acceptable.”

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