To commemorate 75 years of Israel
Bundestag denounces rampant anti-Semitism
05/12/2023 11:42 am
The Bundestag honors the founding of the State of Israel in May 1948. Before that, Nazi Germany had been trying to exterminate the Jewish people for many years. Even today there are masses of anti-Semitic crimes in this country from the right – but also from other sides.
The Bundestag honored the 75th anniversary of the founding of Israel with cross-party calls to fight anti-Semitism in Germany. “Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is rampant in Germany, especially from the right,” said Union faction leader Friedrich Merz. In the debate, however, concern about the recent escalation of violence with the Palestinians became clear. Green party leader Katharina Dröge called for “bold steps” to achieve peace.
The State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948. On this day, the British UN mandate over Palestine ended. State founder David Ben-Gurion read the Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor were also present at the debate in the Bundestag plenary session. Anti-Semitism should never again have a place in Germany – “regardless of which direction,” said Merz. He must be fought, even if he comes from the left, from art or from Muslims.
Still thousands of anti-Semitic crimes in Germany
More than 2,600 anti-Semitic crimes, including 88 violent crimes in Germany last year, were “unbearable,” said Gabriela Heinrich, deputy SPD parliamentary group leader. It must be the task of politics “that Jews can feel safe in our country”. Anti-Semitic crimes are a “sad reality” in Germany, said Left Party leader Dietmar Bartsch. It must be stated that neo-Nazism is a problem in Germany. Bartsch saw a “failure of politics” here. Hate on the street, on the internet and in people’s minds must be fought better.
Germany will always be grateful that Israel shook hands with Germany after the murder of the Jews of Europe, said Green politician Dröge. That is why Israel’s security is also a “German reason of state”. The recent escalation of violence with the Palestinians must end, said Dröge. She hopes for “a real political process that is not based on creating facts, but on dialogue”.
“Israel has the right to self-defense,” said Christian Dürr, leader of the FDP parliamentary group. The country is constantly being “threatened with rockets and fired upon” by radical Islamist groups. However, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary are also important for Germany, Dürr said with regard to the controversial judicial reform in Israel. The demonstrations against it showed that Israel is “the living liberal democracy” in the Middle East. Merz emphasized that Germany was “looking at Israeli domestic politics with some concern”. The struggle over the rules for the composition of the constitutional court is not a weakness, “but an expression of the strength of Israeli democracy”. He hopes that Israel “will make the right decisions for itself.”