As Israel’s genocide in Gaza rages on, Germany is leading efforts to silence criticism of Israel’s actions.

The German government and its institutions have cancelled a stream of cultural events that show solidarity with Palestine, smearing prominent artists and intellectuals – many of them Jewish – as anti-semitic. They’ve intimidated activists and searched their homes. They’ve even made cultural grants – and in the case of one German state, citizenship – contingent on support for Israel.

And now, German politicians are trying to ban the Palestine Congress, a vital event planned for the 12-14 April in Berlin, to unite activists for a ceasefire in Gaza.

How successful have these clampdowns been in hindering activism for Palestine? What are the underlying factors propelling the authoritarian stance of German politicians, and how does this relate to the country’s Nazi history? And as we move into the European elections, what might this repression mean for Germany, for other countries in Europe, and for the plight of the Palestinian people?

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