Yesterday marks the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, and we Germans remember this horrific chapter of our history. But we must not stop at remembering the past. The present requires us to act and raise our voices.
On November 9, 1938, synagogues throughout Germany were set on fire, Jewish shops were destroyed. Hundreds of Jews were killed, others committed suicide. These pogroms were a milestone on the path to moral abyss. At the end of the systematic persecution of all European Jews was the Holocaust.
Kristallnacht. Sights that promised never to return, Photo: GettyImages
Today, 85 years later, I mourn the victims of this hatred and bow my head to the survivors who fortunately are still with us.
Today, some 120,<> Jews live in Germany again. Jewish life has long since returned to a new Germany that strives to ensure that all its citizens, regardless of religion or origin, live with dignity and mutual appreciation. This is the promise of our Constitution and the lesson of our history: No human dignity should be violated.
The destruction in the village of Gaza, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The poison of anti-Semitism
It pains me to say that today, after Hamas's inhuman terror on 7 October, Jews in Germany are afraid again. Despite the solidarity of all the democratic parties and a large part of the population, despite the Brandenburg Gate in the colors of Israel, blue and white, they are afraid.
German Chancellor Scholz and Prime Minister Netanyahu at the press conference in Germany, Photo: GettyImages
We are horrified to see isolated demonstrations of hatred denying Israel's right to exist. We see attacks on synagogues, and we see that in places where Jews live, Stars of David were painted on the walls of houses.
I want to say to all our friends in Israel: We understand these days that unfortunately the poison of anti-Semitism is also at work in our country. We want a Germany where kippah wearers have nothing to fear on the street; A Germany where you can speak the wonderful Hebrew language on the subway without it becoming a risk. That's what we'll fight for. With all the severity of the law, through the police and, if necessary, with additional political means, with education, and most importantly, with the help of citizens who do not simply look away when anti-Semites are exposed, who open their mouths and stand with Jewish women and Jews. We said "never again" so often and with great conviction. Now is the time to prove it, and it's done.
The writer is the German ambassador to Israel
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