Germany is stepping up efforts to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish communities after the number of recorded incidents in the country tripled since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
A report by RIAS, Germany’s antisemitism monitoring network, found that more than 8,000 antisemitic incidents are now recorded annually, an average of 24 a day. Sixty-eight percent of the cases were classified as related to Israel.
The measures come amid efforts by Israel’s Embassy in Berlin, led by Ambassador Ron Prosor, to press German authorities for concrete action against antisemitism.
Schleswig-Holstein, the northern German state whose capital is Kiel, this week introduced a state action plan to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish life. The 109-point program is the most comprehensive state-level initiative of its kind in Germany to date.
The plan adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism as a central standard for identifying incidents. It also calls for increased security and enforcement, specialized antisemitism training for teachers and civil servants, and initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of Jewish life.
Universities will be a particular focus of the program, alongside plans for Jewish culture days intended to familiarize the public with Jewish and Israeli life.
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, also held its first conference this week devoted to Jewish community security. The gathering, led by the state interior minister, focused on both security measures and education about Jewish life, including religious holidays, synagogues, traditions, Israel and Israeli society.
Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor
(Photo: REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben)
Speaking at the conference, Prosor said protecting Jewish communities in Germany could not be separated from attitudes toward Israel.
“Protecting Jews and Jewish life cannot be disconnected from the Jewish state,” he said. “When we see the unimaginable numbers of antisemitic incidents, we all understand that Jewish life will not be able to continue in Germany if Jews and Israelis continue to feel threatened.”
Prosor also said Jews and Israelis should not be expected to conceal their identity in order to participate in German public life.
“We cannot accept a situation in which Jews and Israelis are required to leave their national and ethnic identity at the door in order to be accepted as equals,” he said. “That is the situation today, particularly in the worlds of culture and academia, and it cannot simply be ignored.”