Ep. 28: Political Analysis & Debate: Benjamin Fischer (Founder of the German Jewish Student Union / Former President of the European Union of Jewish Students / European Consultant for Digital and Mino

Guest: Benjamin Fischer – Founding President, German Jewish Student Union; Former President, European Union of Jewish Students; European Consultant for Digital and Minority Rights Hosts: Efe & Philip Bio: Benjamin Fischer is a European advisor on digital and minority rights, focused on countering online hate and strengthening civil society through data-driven and innovative activism. As Program Director of the Alfred Landecker Foundation, he had led initiatives supporting these goals. Fischer chairs the Advisory Board at CeMAS (Center for Monitoring, Analysis, and Strategy) and serves on several curatorial boards. He was the founding president of the Jewish Student Union Germany, president of the European Union of Jewish Students, and a member of the Executive Committee of the World Jewish Congress, representing over 160,000 Jewish students from 35+ countries before the UN, European Parliament, and Knesset. His work emphasizes coalition-building with other minority groups, including Romnja, Armenian, and Jewish–Muslim dialogue initiatives. In this Episode: Efe and Philip speak with Benjamin Fischer about the impact of the October 7 attacks on Jewish life. He addresses the rise in antisemitism, polarization, and challenges for students and civil society. Fischer shares his family’s North African heritage and the often-overlooked story of Jewish expulsions from the region—echoing the broader Mizrahi Jewish experience. Drawing on his leadership in Jewish student and minority networks, he reflects on strained alliances since October 7, the fight against online hate, and the need for education that defines Jewish identity beyond the Holocaust or Israel. This episode was recorded on July 11, 2025. Links: CeMAS: https://cemas.io/ Annual Antisemitism Report 2024 by RIAS: https://tinyurl.com/yhr9chjf KOAS Study (Sept. 2025): Impact of October 7 on Jewish and Israeli Communities in Germany: https://tinyurl.com/58cdzfkk Jewish Student Union Germany (JSUD): https://www.jsud.de/ European Union of Jewish Students: https://www.eujs.org/ Antisemitism on TikTok (bpb.de): https://tinyurl.com/38n32nyd Comparison of IHRA, JDA & Nexus Definitions of Antisemitism: https://tinyurl.com/48tdkus6 For more on the Farhud and the expulsion of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, listen to our episode with Norman Stillman. Please also check out other episodes in our political debate chapter to explore multiple perspectives. Disclaimer: Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast team. Technical legal terms are explained in Episode 36 with Prof. Claus Kreß; contested histories are addressed by Prof. Gudrun Krämer in Episode 21.