The explicit and ostentatious support shown for Israel by European far-right parties has caught the eye of academics and commentators alike (Kahmann, 2017; Karpf, 2012; Shroufi, 2024). Indeed, to see far-right parties, some with a well-documented history of anti-Semitism, align themselves with Israel is both a perplexing and counterintuitive development. Clearly, this was not always the case, and my paper traces the shifts and changes that have taken place within the West European far right vis-à-vis Israel/Palestine. Through analysing European Parliament (EP) debates related to Israel/Palestine between 1979 – the first year Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were directly elected – up until the end of the most recent EP parliamentary term in 2024, my paper shows how an ambiguous if not hostile position has turned into outright if not fanatical support for Israel over recent decades. This shift has occurred, moreover, in unison with attempts by some far-right parties to ‘de-demonise’ their image and present a more respectable face, targeting instead a more suitable enemy in the form of ‘the Muslim’ (Bunzl, 2007; Fekete, 2009; Zúquete, 2008). However, my paper also shows how this shift has been partial, with parts of the unreformed and traditional extreme right remaining firm in their rejection of Israel. The paper thus shows how support for Israel is not an inevitable outcome for all far-right parties, as some display much less interest in such a transformation. Ideological and strategic divisions within the far right, in other words, determine the degree to which far-right parties decide to support and defend Israel.
References
Bunzl M (2007) Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia: Hatreds Old and New in Europe. Chicago: Prickly Paradigm Press.
Fekete L (2009) A Suitable Enemy: Racism, Migration and Islamophobia in Europe. London: Pluto Press.
Kahmann B (2017) ‘The most ardent pro-israel party’: Pro-israel attitudes and anti-antisemitism among populist radical-right parties in Europe. Patterns of Prejudice 51(5). 396–411.
Karpf A (2012) Don’t be fooled. Europe’s far-right racists are not discerning. The Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/mar/27/far-right-philozionism-racism.
Shroufi O (2024) From ‘Terror State’ to Part of the ‘Jewish-Christian Civilisation’: Exploring Diversity in the German Far Right’s Position Towards Israel. Political Studies.
Zúquete JP (2008) The European extreme-right and Islam: New directions? Journal of Political Ideologies 13(3). 321–344.
