In Berlin, approximately 10,000 people gathered at Brandenburg Gate for a demonstration in support of Israel and against anti-Semitism, although organizers claimed the figure was closer to 25,000.
Germany’s President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, addressed the crowd, expressing concern about the fear experienced by Jews today, especially in Germany. He stated, “It is unbearable that Jews are living in fear again today — especially in our country… Every single attack on Jews, on Jewish institutions, is a disgrace for Germany. Every single attack fills me with shame and anger.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz also conveyed a similar message during the opening of a new synagogue in Dessau, emphasizing the need for zero tolerance of anti-Semitism in Germany. He pledged to “defend and protect” Jewish life in the country, expressing shock at the global spread of anti-Semitism, including in Germany.
“There must be zero tolerance for anti-Semitism in Germany,” Scholz said.
Germany has witnessed an increase in anti-Semitic incidents following the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel and Israel’s retaliatory actions. Some Jewish homes in Berlin were marked with the Star of David, and there were incidents involving Molotov cocktails thrown at a Jewish synagogue in the city. Chancellor Scholz emphasized the importance of not turning a blind eye to such incidents when Jews are not safe on German streets.
The opening of the synagogue in Dessau marks 85 years since a synagogue in the city was destroyed during the “Kristallnacht” anti-Jewish pogrom in 1938, which signified the beginning of the Third Reich’s efforts to eliminate Jews. The new synagogue is named the Weill Synagogue after the German-American composer Kurt Weill, whose father served as a cantor in Dessau’s Jewish community. Dessau is in close proximity to Halle, where a gunman killed two individuals after failing to breach a synagogue on Yom Kippur in October 2019.
Germany boasts the third-largest Jewish community in Europe, with approximately 100,000 practicing Jews and around 100 synagogues, according to the Central Council of Jews in Germany.
Anti-Semitic incidents have surged in Germany amid the recent turmoil in the Middle East. From October 7 to 15, the Federal Association of Research and Information Centres on Anti-Semitism (RIAS) documented 202 anti-Semitic “incidents,” compared to just 59 during the same week in 2022. Sigmount Koenigsberg, a representative for the city’s Jewish community, expressed how the rise in anti-Jewish incidents evoked painful memories of Nazi Germany, with some members of the community drawing parallels to that dark period.
In recent times, Germany has witnessed multiple large rallies both in support of Israel and the Palestinian cause. A planned pro-Palestinian demonstration near Brandenburg Gate was banned due to concerns about anti-Semitism and potential violence.
