Maor Shani
Dr. Maor Shani is a psychologist and a post-doctoral researcher at Osnabrück University, Germany, and a Research Fellow at Ariel University, Israel. His research program is dedicated to the empirical study of various themes in social and health psychology, including contemporary antisemitism. His recent work investigates the psychological mechanisms that distinguish legitimate criticism of Israel from antisemitism-driven support for boycotts; the institutional and bystander dynamics, including his novel concept of ‘antisemitism accommodation’—the process by which organizations enable prejudice to appease hostile third parties; and the profound psychosocial toll of antisemitism on the mental health, identity, and resilience of Jews in Germany. Using rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods, Dr. Shani’s work aims to provide an evidence-based understanding of how modern antisemitism functions and how it can be effectively challenged.
His current research agenda is multi-faceted, employing social-psychological methods to empirically investigate the mechanisms and impacts of modern antisemitism. His recent work includes:
1. Investigating the Mechanisms of Support for Anti-Israel Action: Moving beyond simple correlations, my longitudinal research with a representative German sample examines when and why criticism of Israeli policy translates into punitive action. Our preliminary findings suggest that antisemitism acts as a critical boundary condition: among non-antisemites, criticism of Israel is actually associated with greater support for constructive engagement and cooperation. Conversely, only among individuals with antisemitic attitudes does criticism predict support for boycotts. This work aims to empirically disentangle principled political critique from prejudice-driven animus, directly addressing the core of the debate over antizionism.
2. Unpacking Institutional and Bystander Antisemitism: he is developing a theoretical framework around what what he calls “antisemitism accommodation”—the phenomenon where institutions or individuals make decisions that marginalize Jews or Israelis, not out of personal bias, but to appease or avoid conflict with hostile third parties. He is experimentally studying how discrimination against Jews is legitimized when framed in political terms, and the imposition of ideological “litmus tests” on Jews in progressive spaces. This research describes and confronts institutional antisemitism and the “hostile environment”.
3. Examining the Psychosocial Toll: Maor’s recent qualitative and quantitative studies have documented the profound impact of rising antisemitism on the mental health, social relationships, and identity of Jews in Germany since October 7. This work gives voice to the lived realities of the community, deliberately centering Jewish perspectives in a research landscape that has too often marginalized their experiences of discrimination.
