Generation 3.0: Popularity of the national German team among Israeli soccer fans

Abstract

Overshadowed by the events of WWII and Germany’s responsibility for the Jewish Holocaust, German–Israel relations are both sensitive and complicated. The memories of the Holocaust and Nazi crimes continue to pervade many areas of life in Israel, as these memories are regularly manipulated by multiple stakeholders. The present study examines the recently growing popularity of the German soccer team among Jewish-Israelis and how past events involving Germany affect fans’ support and sentiments. The findings of this study revealed fans’ dissonance: while fans passionately support the style of soccer of the German team and its players, they are nonetheless challenged by Germany’s role in the Holocaust and consequently adopt various cognitive defenses. A portion of the fans consider their support for the German team as an ingress into European culture; support for the German team is considered antithetical to Israeli culture that supposedly represents a type of sloppiness and imperfect performance. For another portion of the fans, support for Germany represents a Jewish victory over the Nazi motivation to annihilate the Jewish people in the Holocaust.