German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that “Jewish life is no longer safe in Germany” as antisemitism rises.
Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, Merz said his party, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union, was committed to protecting Jewish communities.
“The CDU, and I personally, are committed to doing everything possible to ensure that Jewish life in Germany, and here in the capital, Berlin, is safe,” Merz said. “And wherever that is threatened, we will oppose it with everything at our disposal”.
Addressing Jewish communities in Berlin and around the world, Merz said antisemitism in the German capital “is a disgrace for Germany”.
He said he would do everything in his power “to bring it under control and push it back”, pointing to what he described as a rise in radical and openly expressed antisemitism in recent months.
“The fact that Jewish life is no longer safe in Germany is the heaviest burden of recent years,” Merz said, arguing that the issue should deeply concern every democratic party.
He added: “And I very much hope that the SPD (Social Democrats) in particular, but also the Greens, will give a very clear response here, especially here in Berlin,” he said.
His remarks came a day after the Left Party, Die Linke, secured its strongest-ever result in a Berlin state election delivering a crushing blow to Merz and his party.
Led by 45-year-old Elif Eralp, the party won 25.7 per cent of the vote, more than doubling its 2023 result and finishing ahead of the CDU, according to preliminary results.
Eralp has rejected accusations against her party and said criticism of the Israeli government policy should not be equated with hostility towards Jews.
Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, said the result should concern anyone who cares about the future of Jewish life in the German capital.
He has repeatedly argued that antisemitism from the political left must be confronted as firmly as antisemitism from the right.
Similarly, Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, expressed deep concern about the result, pointing to incidents during the election campaign which he said crossed into antisemitism.
Schuster has urged the SPD and Greens to consider carefully whether they should enter a coalition with Die Linke, while the Greens have indicated that addressing allegations of antisemitism will be an issue in any coalition negotiations.
Friedrich Merz’s intervention came against the backdrop of a difficult period for his CDU.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the party fell to 4.9 per cent, its worst state-election result since the Second World War, while the far-right AfD emerged as the strongest party.
In Berlin, the CDU finishing second on 18.8 per cent.
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