Adorno's Gaza stance debated: German intellectuals clash over critical theory and Israel

A debate has emerged in German intellectual circles over what Theodor W. Adorno would have said about the Gaza war and German Staatsräson (reason of state) regarding Israel. The Feuilletons have declared that the Frankfurt School tradition is fully compatible with German state policy, but historian A. Dirk Moses, a genocide studies scholar, argues in the Berlin Review that Adorno's concept of 'instrumental reason' remains surprisingly relevant for contemporary critique. Moses does not simply co-opt Adorno for Israel criticism but highlights tensions between anti-Semitism prevention, Holocaust lessons, and assessments of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The discussion involves Max Horkheimer and the broader Frankfurt School legacy in shaping Germany's intellectual identity.