The war in the Middle East has exposed an identity crisis that is paralysing Europe | Catherine Fieschi

Germany and France could offer global leadership. Instead, they're struggling with the weight of their own histories

While the world focuses on the many ways in which the Israel-Hamas war is reshaping the geopolitics of the Middle East, western powers are also contending with its impact on their societies and domestic politics. The worry is not only about an immediate regional spill-over, but about repercussions in Paris, Berlin, London and beyond.

Given the tortuous histories of France and Germany, rising antisemitism in both countries is of particular concern in the wake of the 7 October Hamas massacre in Israel and the Israeli government's retaliatory war. In France, which has the largest Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe, events could potentially pit two minorities - both of which have reason to feel systemically and historically victimised and persecuted - against one another. In Germany, the weight of the second world war needs no explanation.

Catherine Fieschi is a political analyst. She is the director of Counterpoint and author of Populocracy

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