Western European leaders condemn recent wave of anti-Semitism there
Anti-Semitic sentiment is growing throughout the countries of Western Europe due to the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. The sentiment is most visible in states with strong Muslim minorities.
Speaking on Tuesday in Brussels, the leaders of France, Germany and Italy unequivocally condemned the xenophobic invective. "Anti-Semitic rhetoric and animosity towards Jews or attacks on citizens of the Jewish faith and their synagogues have no place in our society," their joint official declaration read.
Gauck and Merkel against anti-Semitism
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German President Joachim Gauck condemned the wave of anti-Semitism that has affected Germany during the past few days. Anti-Jewish invective was heard at demonstrations convened in support of Palestine in connection with Israel’s ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Demonstrations in support of the Palestinians were held this week in Berlin, Essen, Frankfurt and other German cities. In Berlin, demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Jews, you cowardly pigs, come out and fight" or "Jews to the gas chambers", and fears were exacerbated by the preaching of an imam there, Bilal Isamil, who reportedly called on radical Salafists to attack Jews and kill them without hesitation.
Jewish people fear for their safety in Germany
Jewish associations in Germany fear the current anti-Semitic sentiment could lead to physical attacks against Jewish people as well. "I never in my life thought I would ever hear such anti-Jewish shouting in Germany," Dieter Graumann, chair of the Central Jewish Council, told the daily Frankfurter Rundschau.
Grauman said many Jews in Germany are now afraid for their safety. "We cannot tolerate this, we don’t want to," Georg Streiter, spokesperson for the Merkel government, said when asked for the administration’s comment.
According to the German Chancellor, such anti-Semitic invective represents an attack on freedom and tolerance in Germany. She emphasized that her government will not tolerate such hate speech and will intervene against it in future using all legal means.
According to German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, the demonstrators "crossed the red line", and he has called on the police and state prosecutor to begin forcefully prosecuting incitement of anti-Jewish hatred. The German Police have already announced they will intervene more forcefully next time than they have to date.
Gauck stands by the Jews
Graumann has turned to German President Gauck over the situation as well. "[Gauck] unequivocally assured the Jewish community that he stands by us at this time and takes our concerns seriously," Graumann told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur today.
The anti-Jewish invective was also criticized this week by other German politicians. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said there is no room in German society for anti-Semitic campaigns.
Representatives of the Evangelical Church in Germany have also responded sharply to the anti-Semitism. In their view, because of the crimes committed by Germany during WWII, any form of anti-Semitism and racism there must be dealt with firmly.
Crossing the line
In France, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have clashed several times with police recently, setting fire to several cars, looting shops and attacking two synagogues in a Parisian suburb on Sunday. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini said in their statements Tuesday that while they respect the rights of their citizens to freedom of assembly and speech, they would be doing everything they could to suppress "behavior and speech when it crosses the line into anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia."
