In a recent post on the EU Values blog, EthnicGoods’ PI Matthias vom Hau and Prof. Avi Astor introduce “exoteric nationalism” to explain how foreign‑focused loyalties (notably strong public support for Israel) have become a marker of civic belonging and moral legitimacy in contemporary Germany. Grounded in Germany’s Holocaust memory and political culture, the concept shows how outward expressions of solidarity function domestically to signal who counts as a proper citizen.
The authors place Germany’s dynamics in comparative perspective, contrasting German patterns with Christian Zionism in the United States and pro‑Palestinian solidarities elsewhere, to highlight different historical anchors, political coalitions, and public repertoires that shape when support for a foreign cause is mobilized as a domestic identity test. The post explains how wartime framing, party politics, social movements, and memory politics interact to produce distinct national responses to the Gaza conflict, and outlines implications for political inclusion, public debate, and policy making.
Read the full piece on the EU Values blog: https://www.eu-values.eu/blog/exoteric-nationalism-germanys-stance-on-gaza-in-comparative-perspective
