On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, a broad majority of the Bundestag has committed itself to the fight against anti-Semitism in Germany. Speakers from all political groups congratulated Israel on Friday in a debate on the anniversary, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor also listened to the debate in the official gallery.
Matthias Wyssuwa
Political correspondent in Berlin.
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Several speakers emphasized the country's right to self-defense against the backdrop of Iran's threat to Israel. In view of the current outbreak of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, the importance of a two-state solution for lasting peace was also emphasized in various speeches – even if this solution currently seems to be a long way off.
"Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is rampant in Germany, especially from the right," said the chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Friedrich Merz (CDU). However, anti-Semitism must never again have a place in Germany – "no matter from which direction," Merz said. It must be fought, even if it comes from the left, from art or from Muslims.
More than 2600 anti-Semitic crimes with 88 violent crimes in Germany last year were "intolerable," said the deputy SPD parliamentary group leader Gabriela Heinrich. It must be the task of politicians "to ensure that Jews can feel safe in our country." Anti-Semitic crimes are a "sad reality" in Germany, said Dietmar Bartsch, chairman of the Left Party's parliamentary group.
The State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948. At that time, the founder of the state, David Ben-Gurion, read out the Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. For Germany, Israel's security is a raison d'être in view of the murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany.