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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has condemned “criticism of Israel” when it serves as a pretext for anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n
Criticism of the Israeli government must be possible, and he himself has recently voiced such criticism, Merz said at an event hosted by the Central Council of Jews in Berlin.<\/p>\n
“But our country harms its own soul when this criticism becomes a pretext for hatred of Jews \u2013 or when it even leads to demands that the Federal Republic turn away from Israel,” Merz said.<\/p>\n
“Germany’s commitment to the existence and security of the State of Israel is a non-negotiable part of the normative foundations of our country.”<\/p>\n
Merz expressed his continued shock and shame over anti-Semitism in Germany, which he said has become louder, more open, more brazen, and more violent since the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.<\/p>\n
Israeli restaurants, places of Jewish life, and sites of Jewish remembrance have been defaced and threatened.<\/p>\n
“We are all called upon to show civil courage wherever we witness anti-Semitism, racism, or discrimination,” Merz added at the reception marking the 75th anniversary of the Central Council of Jews, which was founded just five years after the Nazi Holocaust.<\/p>\n
He paid extensive tribute to the role and contributions of the council.<\/p>\n
“The Federal Republic would have been forever uprooted without Jewish life and Jewish culture in our country,” the chancellor said.<\/p>\n
“I want to say to the Jewish people in Germany today: Without you, there can be no good future for the Federal Republic.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n