Disentangling Antisemitic Attitudes Among Muslim Communities in Germany: Religious Underpinnings or Regional Socialization Effects? Insights from the MiD Study

Numerous studies confirm that both traditional and Israel-related antisemitism is more widespread among Muslims than in German society on average. Nevertheless, there is disagreement among researchers on how to interpret these results. Some studies point to the role of immigrants' regions of origin and socialization, particularly regarding those from the Arab world. Indeed, surveys indicate that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is currently a stronghold of antisemitism, with an impact not only on the attitudes of Muslims but also on those of non-Muslim minorities. This “origin hypothesis” is frequently invoked to downplay the importance of religious factors, but such conclusions are challenged by findings from studies that show a clear link between antisemitism, frequent mosque attendance, and religious fundamentalism, regardless of an individual's regional background. That said, these competing explanations have rarely been systematically tested in Germany, and if so, then on the basis of a small database. Our study aims to fill this research gap by analyzing pooled data from representative surveys of the German general population (n = 17 441) that contains large oversamples of Migrant and Muslim populations. The surveys were conducted between 2021 and 2024 within the framework of the multi-wave study “Menschen in Deutschland” (MiD). The data allows us to examine whether differences in antisemitic attitudes between Muslims and non-Muslims persist when controlling for their region of origin, and whether religious beliefs and practices constitute a major driver of antisemitic attitudes among Muslims.