Scholz: current anti-Semitism is a disgrace that shames and outrages me

On the night of November 9-10, 1938, Jewish pogroms took place on the lands belonging to the Third Reich, which went down in history as Kristallnacht. At that time, about a thousand synagogues were destroyed, at least 91 representatives of the Jewish population were killed, about 7.5 thousand Jewish businesses were plundered, and about 30 thousand boys and men believed to be Jews were arrested. According to historians, the mentioned pogroms of November 1938 were the practical beginning of the Shoah, or Holocaust – the systemic genocide of European Jews, in which six million people were killed.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took part in the official celebration of the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the central point of which was the commemoration of the victims of those pogroms, which was organized in the Beth-Zion synagogue in Berlin. After the war started Israel with Hamas, this synagogue was attacked with Molotov cocktails – reminds Reuters.

In his speech, Scholz recalled that the first article of the German Constitution states that human dignity is inviolable. – Our task is to defend human dignity. We must actively oppose the divisions into “us” and “them”, against exclusion, he said.

Chancellor German warned against a new wave of anti-Semitism. – It would be a shame if, in 2023, the doors and walls were again stained with Stars of David, and our streets and squares expressed support for the radical Islamic Hamas for murdering Jews, said the chancellor. The head of the German government said that if it were to “celebrate the latest forms of violence from Hamas” and threaten Jewish fellow citizens, “something would get out of control.”

– Every form of anti-Semitism poisons society. Nothing, absolutely nothing – no origin, no political opinion, no cultural background, no supposedly post-colonial view of history – can be a justification for murdering or supporting the cruel massacre of innocent people, said the Chancellor.

Scholz pointed out that exclusion has affected Jews for centuries and still affects them today. – It’s a disgrace. This deeply outrages and shames me, he said.

The German Chancellor also recalled the promise of the international community made after 1945: “Never again.” – This is a promise on which our democratic Germany is founded, he emphasized. – We must keep this promise, not only with words, but also with our actions – he appealed. According to Scholz, “Never again” also means that Germany’s place is on the side of Israel – a state that “has the right to defend itself against barbaric terror” that “wants to destroy the only Jewish state and its inhabitants.”

In the German Chancellor’s opinion, “Never again” also means that Germany must maintain “the memory of the crime against humanity committed by Germany.” According to Scholz, in this way we need to reach those for whom Germany is becoming a new home and who have not heard about the Holocaust in their homelands or where it was talked about in a completely different way.

The head of the German government also emphasized that “Never Again” is a commitment to the physical defense of Jewish institutions and communities and to consistent enforcement of applicable laws by the police and the judiciary. – Providing this protection is both a state task and a civic duty. You should be careful with statements on social networking sites, where deliberately falsified messages reach especially young people, where you can shape the worldview of others, but also deform it.

– We will prosecute anyone who supports terrorism or incites anti-Semitism – he added. He recalled that the draft of the new citizenship law states that anti-Semitism is an obstacle to granting citizenship.

– We do not tolerate anti-Semitism. Nowhere, the Chancellor noted. He also warned against generalizations and suspicion of Muslims. – We cannot be fooled by those who seek an opportunity to deprive over five million citizens of their rightful place in our society. Everyone who comes to live in Germany must take the basic values ​​of a free democracy as a point of reference. We must stand together against terror and hatred, he said.

The chairman of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, admitted that, unlike the situation 85 years ago, Jewish life in Germany is protected today. But he also emphasized that Jews do not want to live behind “protective shields.”

“We want to live freely in Germany, in our country, to live freely in this open society,” Schuster said.