Berlin plans to introduce questions on the Holocaust, Israel and Judaism into its tests to acquire German nationality in response in particular to the rise in anti-Semitism, the Minister of the Interior indicated in an interview to be published on Thursday .
“Anti-Semitism, racism and any form of contempt for humanity excludes the possibility of being naturalized
,” declared Nancy Faeser, in an interview with the weekly
Der Spiegel
.
The resurgence of anti-Semitic acts in Germany since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the attack on October 7 has pushed the government of Olaf Scholz to question the conditions for naturalization that he has just relaxed this year.
Special responsibility of Germany towards Israel
“Germany has a special responsibility towards the Jews and the State of Israel after the Holocaust, a crime against humanity that it committed
,” the minister underlined.
Those who want to become Germans must know
“what that means and commit to taking on this responsibility for Germany”
which is part of the country’s
“identity
,” Nancy Faeser said.
This commitment must be
“clear and credible”
, she added.
The systematic extermination enterprise carried out by Nazi Germany led to the death of six million Jews.
Among the future questions included in the naturalization test,
Der Spiegel
notably cited: What is the name of the place of worship of the Jews?
When was the State of Israel founded?
Why does Germany have a special responsibility towards Israel?
On January 19, German deputies adopted a law relaxing the conditions for obtaining nationality.
With the new legislation, it is possible to obtain a German passport after living in the country for five years and not eight as before.
In the event of integration deemed particularly successful (related to work or voluntary commitment), naturalization becomes possible after a three-year stay in Germany.