Merz warns of new wave of antisemitism in Germany
On the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned of rising antisemitism in Germany. He called for solidarity with Jewish citizens and demanded the release of all hostages. Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer described October 7 as a day of pain.
October 7, 2023, marks the start of a brutal Hamas attack on Israel, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 were taken hostage to the Gaza Strip. This incident led to the war between Israel and Hamas and left a deep wound, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) emphasized in a video message. 'It has gone down in history books as a black day for the Jewish people. Two years ago today, Hamas attacked Israel in a barbaric way,' Merz said.
Merz warned of a new wave of antisemitism in Germany since October 7, 2023. 'Since October 7, 2023, we have been experiencing a new wave of antisemitism in Germany. It appears in old and new guises – in social media, at universities, on our streets; louder, more brazen, and more often in the form of violence,' he explained. He appealed to the public: 'Go today, go tomorrow and the day after to our Jewish citizens wherever possible. Go to the Jewish communities.' The goal is for Jewish women and men to live in Germany without fear and with confidence.
Merz again demanded the release of all hostages, who have endured the 'unimaginable' for two years. 'We place great hope in the peace process,' he said, sharing the pain of the families.
Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer (independent) remembered the victims, especially the young people at the Nova Music Festival. 'October 7 is a day of pain for Israel and for Jewish women and men worldwide. My thoughts and sympathy are today especially with the victims of this brutal Hamas massacre and with the people still held hostage,' Weimer stated. For the families, it has been 'two unbearable years of fear and despair.' The attack on the festival was an attack on culture: 'Culture lives from freedom, it creates places of diversity and connection – and that is exactly why the Nova Music Festival became the target of deeply rooted hatred.' Weimer plans to visit a documentation exhibition at the former Berlin-Tempelhof airport.