It was 75 years ago this summer when the allies invaded Europe to rid the continent of Nazis forever. But here we are in the 21st century still dealing with hate. Anti-Semitism is growing in Germany just like it is in many countries.. In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said:
“In Germany, obviously, they always have to be seen in a certain context, in the context of our past, which means we have to be that much more vigilant than others.”
And this response raised concern.
“There is to this day not a single Synagogue not a single daycare center for Jewish children, not a single school for Jewish children that does not need to be guarded by German policemen.”
Angela Merkel tells @camanpour: We have to face-up "to the specters of the past."
The German Chancellor has said "there is work to be done" in Germany to face up to the dark forces that are finding mainstream support there and in other parts of the world https://t.co/eT7siW5rrb pic.twitter.com/x5J7QTJp62
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) May 28, 2019
This came just days after a German official said, “I can no longer recommend Jews wear a kippah at every time and place in Germany.”
The U.S. ambassador to Germany fired back on Twitter.
The opposite is true. Wear your kippa. Wear your friend’s kippa. Borrow a kippa and wear it for our Jewish neighbors. Educate people that we are a diverse society. https://t.co/vd9nV9AvPG
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) May 26, 2019
After German #Jews were warned not to wear a #kippah in public, Germany’s largest newspaper Bild printed a Jewish kippah on the front page of the Monday paper so that Germans can cut it out and wear it in solidarity with the local Jewish community. https://t.co/6ByRTIbuT9 pic.twitter.com/C9U8oXXIw4
— The Israel Project (@israelproject) May 28, 2019
But the facts do back up the disturbing growth of anti-Semitism. The New York Times wrote:
The worrisome trend was underscored by a report issued by the German government this month showing that anti-Semitic incidents in Germany had increased by almost 20 percent in 2018 from the previous year, to 1,799, with 69 classified as acts of violence. The most common offense was the use of the swastika and other illegal symbols; the rest ranged from online incitement and insults to arson, assault and murder.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) responded to this report saying:
The rise of
#antiSemitism in Europe today is alarming. Leaders and society must take this threat seriously. We will continue to work day and night with our partners to fight this scourge.
With ADL CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt adding:
The rise in anti-Semitism is taking its toll. More action is needed to ensure the Jewish community’s safety in Germany and Europe.
Watch more of what Merkel said above.