Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor called in an interview with RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland for mandatory student visits to concentration camp memorials. He views this as a key step against rising antisemitism, especially among children with Muslim migrant backgrounds. He also advocates legally binding the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
Israeli ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor proposed mandatory visits for students to concentration camp memorials. «That would be enormously important, especially for the many children with Muslim migrant backgrounds», he told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). He stressed the need for more encounters and conversations with Jews and Israelis in Germany.
Prosor shared experiences from Arab countries where initial prejudices against Jews and Israelis diminished after discussions. He could not explain the rise in antisemitism in Germany following the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023. According to Prosor, antisemitism has become «salonfähig» again, with Jews afraid to go out on the street.
To combat it, the diplomat calls for consistent legislation. «The only way to really fight antisemitism is through consistent legislation», he said. He advocates making the 1998 working definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) legally binding. This definition classifies targeting, demonizing, or denying Israel's right to exist as a modern form of antisemitism. Critics argue it is too broadly framed and labels some legitimate Israel criticism as antisemitic.
Prosor distinguishes three types of antisemitism: right-wing, handled by the state; Muslim, which undermines democracy like a «Trojan horse»; and left-wing, masked in academic and cultural circles behind a facade of education and political correctness. He cited incidents at the Berlinale, where director Abdallah Alkhatib criticized Israel.
