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Friedrich Merz (l), chairman of the CDU, speaks together with Gideon Joffe, chairman of the Jewish Community of Berlin, during a visit to the Moses Mendelssohn Jewish High School in Berlin Mitte.
© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
Five months have passed since the terrorist attack on Israel.
The dominant topic is now Israel's war in Gaza.
However, the situation has not improved for Jewish students in Germany.
Berlin - CDU chairman Friedrich Merz has complained that Jewish students in Germany are still afraid five months after Hamas' Islamist terrorist attack on Israel.
“Unfortunately, the basic feeling that you don’t live safely as a Jewish student in Germany hasn’t changed much,” said Merz on Wednesday during a visit to the Moses Mendelssohn Jewish High School in Berlin-Mitte.
“Many students are still afraid and worried,” said Merz after a lengthy conversation with around 40 Jewish and non-Jewish high school students.
“They are insulted, they are insulted online, they are identified, they don't wear the yarmulke, they don't wear the Star of David, they are afraid in the subway, they are afraid in the supermarket.
And that is a depressing situation.”
Merz emphasized that Germany must take a clear stance on this.
“And those who are not prepared to do this, who go as far as to commit violence against fellow Jews, must also be punished harshly here and, if they do not have German citizenship, must also be deported.
(...) I'm not prepared to accept that." Merz also admitted that he had "underestimated the problem in recent years."
There are a thousand mosques in Germany and none need to be protected, which is also a very good thing.
At the same time, there are a hundred synagogues and all of them need to be protected.
“This is a disgrace for our country.” Shortly after the attack on October 7th, Merz had already visited the school once.
Merz also criticized Israel's government and army because of the war in the Gaza Strip.
“The country is already in a very nervous state.
The army is acting very harshly and this is causing considerable damage to the civilian population. “It is a humanitarian catastrophe, especially in the south of Gaza.
During his recent visit to Israel, he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel had to be careful not to lose its best friends.
He could understand Israel, but one also had to think about the future.
The chairman of the Jewish community in Berlin, Gideon Joffe, said that the high school had “unfortunately become more and more a refuge for harassed and persecuted Jewish students.”
And demand has continued to rise since October.
A third of the students now come from other schools where they are bullied.
“Not once have I heard that a Muslim student had to leave school anywhere in the Federal Republic because he was being persecuted as a Muslim.
This is a very good sign that Muslims do not have to be afraid (...).
But we definitely have to do that for the Jews.” You’re slowly getting into French conditions.
In France, Jewish children can hardly attend public schools anymore.
In conversation with Merz, students not only discussed general political topics but also the situation of Jews in Germany.
One student said that October 7th revealed the problems that had already existed for Jews.
“It was already clear beforehand that I would only go out without the star and that I wouldn’t speak Hebrew on the train.
But on October 7th it became clear how deep the problems were.” One student reported in a trembling voice that she was afraid to leave the house with a necklace with a Star of David on it.
On the other hand, she often sees students of Arab origin with the symbol of a Palestine without the State of Israel.
“And that is tolerated here.” One student said that it was clear to him that if he spoke openly for Israel in Neukölln, he would be confronted with violence.
An anti-Semitic incident at a primary school in Friedrichshain became known on Wednesday.
During a “Family Language Week”, children made figures about their origins or the family’s native language.
The school management wrote to the parents: “To our great disappointment, figures with Israeli flags and symbols were deliberately damaged.” And further: “Against this background, we as a team have agreed today to discuss the war in the Gaza Strip and violence with our students from all classes and hate to discuss in the next few days.
We will show tolerance, mutual understanding and the search for compromises as a way out.” dpa