Image Credit: Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, October 1914/UAF Abt. 850 Nr. 40
On November 13, the online publication of the Normative Orders research center at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main posted a statement outlining “Principles of solidarity” with Israel and Jews in Germany. This statement—and particularly a key paragraph—caught the attention of a great many philosophers and friends of critical theory around the world, coming as it did from the Frankfurt School, the home of critical theory, and signed as it was by Jürgen Habermas, long regarded as Europe’s leading public intellectual, as well as by Nicole Deitelhoff, Rainer Forst, and Klaus Günther, all currently affiliated with the Frankfurt School:
The Hamas massacre with the declared intention of eliminating Jewish life in general has prompted Israel to strike back. How this retaliation, which is justified in principle, is carried out is the subject of controversial debate; principles of proportionality, the prevention of civilian casualties and the waging of a war with the prospect of future peace must be the guiding principles. Despite all the concern for the fate of the Palestinian population, however, the standards of judgement slip completely when genocidal intentions are attributed to Israel’s actions. [Emphasis added.]
A number of philosophers were also concerned about an absence: while key principles of international law are alluded to in this paragraph, the authority of international law—so often contested—is not explicitly affirmed.
Because the resulting open letter is a significant intervention in a fraught public debate, prominently involving members of the philosophy department at The New School, we have decided to bring it to the attention of our readers, and publish as well the full list of signatories.
As executive editor of Public Seminar, I also think it crucial to facilitate an informed debate over the very complex questions surrounding how to interpret, and uphold, international laws that both prohibit war crimes and genocide—but also entitle nations to act in self-defense when they are attacked.
November 22, 2023
Read the open letter to the Principles of Solidarity statement, signed by over 100 academics from around the world.
James Miller is Professor of Politics and Liberal Studies and Faculty Director of the MA in Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism at The New School for Social Research.
Who determines what counts as an informed position on the Israeli occupation of Palestine? What principles will this judge of legitimate disclose use to determine participant legitimacy?
Jürgen Habermas’s Passing Triggered Anti-Israel Sentiments Among Scholars
25.03.26
Editorial Note
Jürgen Habermas, widely regarded as one of the most important social thinkers of the second half of the twentieth century, passed away at the age of 96 on March 14, 2026.
Habermas was the last surviving member of the Frankfurt School, a group of largely Jewish, neo-Marxist intellectuals who fled Nazi Germany and found home in The New School in New York (NSNY). The New School hosted other Frankfurt School luminaries, including Max Horkheimer, the Director of the Institute of Social Research, Theodor Adorno, and Herbert Marcuse. Unlike his much older Jewish peers, Habermas, a Protestant, did not settle in the United States and spent most of his academic career at the University of Frankfurt. His major opus, the Theory of Communicative Action, postulated that to sustain a democracy, the public discourse needed to be characterized by honesty, reason-driven, and openness to criticism. He occasionally delivered lectures at the New School and had contacts with the new generation of scholars there.
The German philosopher’s iconic status among critical theorists and the New Left lasted until the Hamas attack in Gaza on October 7, 2023. Five days later, he and three other German scholars published a Statement on the online publication Normative Orders of the University of Frankfurt.
The “Principles of Solidarity” expressed solidarity with Israel and Jews in Germany. The statement reads: “ The current situation created by Hamas’ unparalleled atrocity and Israel’s response to it has led to a cascade of moral and political statements and demonstrations. We believe that for all the conflicting views being expressed, there are some principles that should not be disputed. They form the basis of a rightly understood solidarity with Israel and Jews in Germany. The Hamas massacre with the declared intention of destroying Jewish life in general has prompted Israel to retaliate. How this principally justified counter-strike is carried out is the subject of controversial debate; principles of proportionality, the avoidance of civilian casualties and the waging of a war with the prospect of future peace must be the guiding principles. Despite all the concern for the fate of the Palestinian population, however, the standards of judgment slip completely when genocidal intentions are attributed to Israeli action. In particular, Israel’s actions in no way justify anti-Semitic reactions, especially not in Germany. It is intolerable that Jews in Germany are once again exposed to threats to life and limb and have to fear physical violence on the streets. The democratic self-image of the Federal Republic of Germany, which is based on the obligation to respect human dignity, is linked to a political culture for which Jewish life and Israel’s right to exist are central elements worthy of special protection in light of the mass crimes of the Nazi era. The commitment to this is fundamental to our political coexistence. The elementary rights to freedom and physical integrity as well as to protection from racist defamation are indivisible and apply equally to all. This must also apply to those in our country who have cultivated anti-Semitic affects and convictions behind all kinds of pretexts and now see a welcome opportunity to express them uninhibitedly.”
This statement infuriated some in the New School. James Miller, a Professor of Politics and Liberal Studies there, and an executive editor of the New School’s journal Public Seminar, published an editorial on November 27, 2023. He stated that “Because the resulting open letter is a significant intervention in a fraught public debate, prominently involving members of the philosophy department at The New School, we have decided to bring it to the attention of our readers, and publish as well the full list of signatories. As executive editor of Public Seminar, I also think it crucial to facilitate an informed debate over the very complex questions surrounding how to interpret, and uphold, international laws that both prohibit war crimes and genocide—but also entitle nations to act in self-defense when they are attacked. Read the open letter to the Principles of Solidarity statement, signed by over 100 academics from around the world.”
The academic controversy surrounding Habermas’s statement quickly spread to various media outlets.
The London-based anti-Israel media, the New Arab (Al-Araby Al-Jadeed), founded and funded by Qatar (and run by Azmi Bishara, an ex-member of the Israeli Knesset, wanted in Israel for treason and espionage for Hezbollah), summarized the scholars’ critique: “The passing of Jürgen Habermas, the last titan of the Frankfurt School, marks the end of an era for modern philosophy. While his legacy of ‘Communicative Action’ and ‘Deliberative Democracy’ shaped the late 20th century, his final months were overshadowed by a profound ‘ethical lapse’ that sparked unprecedented division in the global academic community.”
For the New Arab, Habermas et al. were “expressing unconditional support for Israel as a ‘national interest’ of Germany, rooted in the historical responsibility for the Holocaust. This stance triggered a fierce backlash, culminating in a global academic petition signed by hundreds of prominent scholars. They accused him of ‘double standards’ and ‘moral blindness.’ The petitioners dismantled Habermas’s logic, questioning how the philosopher of ‘Universalism’ could ignore decades of occupation and the immense suffering in Gaza. The critique argued that Habermas applied a ‘selective morality,’ categorizing victims based on political leanings rather than universal human dignity. For many in the ‘Global South,’ this was seen as a collapse of Western philosophy into ‘Eurocentrism,’ where the ideals of freedom and dialogue seemingly stop at the borders of the Western world. What do you think of Habermas’s stance on the genocide in Gaza? Share your thoughts in the comments.”
No doubt that Qatar is the culprit here, as Doha has extensive ties to the New School. Qatar’s anti-Israel sentiments have persisted for decades, and Qatar is the largest donor to US campuses. Evidently, social sciences and some law schools in the West, primarily the United States and Great Britain, have adopted a key principle of antisemitism, namely that Jews should be judged by a different standard than others.
It should be seen within a wider picture that the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood and the Shiite Islamic Republic of Iran cultivated a campaign known as “civilizational jihad.” The end goal of this plan is to influence the academy and the civil society, most notably civil rights and humanitarian groups, including the United Nations, to perpetuate the view that Jews and their collective embodiment, Israel, is a bloodthirsty, genocidal society.
At the same time, the “civilizational jihad” makes every effort possible to hide the true nature of the Islamists, be it Hamas or Iran, where recently some thirty thousand civilians were massacred as a result of public protest. To make the point, most of the academy was conspicuously silent about these events.
Habermas advocated for a free, rational, and unfettered discourse, which hardly exists in many Muslim societies, especially in the brutal Islamist theocracy in Iran, where peaceful protest has been brutally suppressed. Those who buy into the “civilizational jihad” against the Jews or keep silent about the wave of antisemitism not seen in the West since the 1930s in Europe should be reminded that Jews have been the proverbial canary in the coalmine. The civilizational jihad’s ultimate goal is to spread many of the Islamist standards within the West to remedy it from perceived moral corruption.
The New School scholars need to be aware of two things: First, both Qatar and Iran have sponsored, trained, and facilitated Hamas’s terrorism infrastructure in Gaza for two decades, culminating in the October 2023 massacre. Second, the accusations against Israel of genocide do not fit the definition of genocide in International Law. Repetition of an accusation does not transform it into a legal fact.
https://israel-academia-monitor.com/2026/03/25/jurgen-habermass-passing-triggered-anti-israel-sentiments-among-scholars/