Merz says Germany faces historic test over rise in antisemitism

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared on Monday that Germany faced a critical test of its commitment to safeguarding its Jewish community, as he condemned the alarming presence of bulletproof glass and armed police protecting kindergartens and synagogues. Addressing a Munich synagogue on the 20th anniversary of the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom, Merz noted that antisemitism had become "omnipresent" - witnessed and heard on streets, in towns, cities, European neighbors, parliaments, clubs, and schools.

He emphasized this moment as a "test of truth" for the "Never again" slogan often repeated, and reiterated his government's unwavering dedication to protecting Jewish life domestically and internationally, reaffirming Germany's historical support for Israel. Recent data from RIAS, a monitoring group, revealed a dramatic surge in antisemitic incidents since the onset of the Gaza war in 2023, with 8,725 reported last year alone - a staggering 24 occurrences daily.

Palestinian authorities reported over 74,000 fatalities in Israel's assault on Gaza, triggered by the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Bavarian Parliament Speaker Ilse Aigner, nominated by Merz as Germany's first female head of state from the conservative party, described the Jewish people's insecurity in Germany as a "disgrace for our country."

The term "Kristallnacht," or the "Night of Broken Glass," refers to the orchestrated pogrom on November 9, 1938, marked by the murder of Jews and the destruction of their property, resulting in the shattered glass littering the streets around synagogues, Jewish shops, and homes.