© Reuters. Hannah Katz, 32, a German-American Jew, lights a candle at her dwelling to mark the Hanukkah pageant of lights, because the Jewish group in Germany grapples with a rising wave of antisemitism amid the continuing battle between Israel and the Palestinian Islami
2/4
By Thomas Escritt and Sarah Marsh
BERLIN (Reuters) -A German chancellor for the primary time kindled the primary flame of the large Hanukkah Menorah in entrance of Berlin’s landmark Brandenburg Gate on Thursday in an indication of solidarity with Jewish individuals two months after the Hamas assaults.
“May these days go down in history as a further step in the growth of Jewish life in Germany,” Berlin Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal mentioned, standing alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz in entrance of the nine-branched, 10-metre (33-foot) excessive candelabra marking the eight days of the Jewish Pageant of Lights.
A crane lifted the 2 as much as the primary department of the menorah, that Scholz, carrying a kippah for the event, lit with a torch.
“Hanukkah stands for hope and trust,” mentioned Scholz. “We need both, especially in these days.”
Scholz’s gesture – which comes as Germany’s renascent Jewish group has been shaken by a surge in antisemitic assaults for the reason that October begin of the battle in Gaza – has been welcomed by many.
But it surely additionally comes at a time when that battle is testing German’s post-war consensus – even amongst some members of the Jewish group – on broad assist for the federal government of Israel, a coverage born out of atonement for the Holocaust.
There have been 994 antisemitic incidents throughout Germany from the beginning of the battle on Oct. 7 to Nov. 9 – 29 per day – a 320% rise on final yr’s day by day common, in line with the Federal Affiliation of Departments for Analysis and Info on Antisemitism.
“I can’t believe we are having to look over our shoulder again,” mentioned Hannah Katz, 32, in her dwelling in Berlin. Her grandfather fled Nazi Germany for america in 1940 and she or he turned the primary in her household to return to stay in Germany 5 years in the past.
A petroleum-filled bottle was thrown at a synagogue close to her personal temple shortly after the Hamas assaults. The administrators of her Hebrew choir suggested members to not promote their live performance final Saturday, which was guarded by armed police.
Katz, a instructor and musician whose nice grandparents had been among the many 6 million Jews killed within the Holocaust, mentioned she was glad the federal government was making an attempt to make sure Jews’ security.
However like another German Jews, she feared that in its concern to point out assist, Germany was generally holding again an excessive amount of on criticism of Israel, for worry it will be taken as antisemitism. No member of presidency or mainstream political get together has straight condemned Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
“If they are going to be so one-sided about it, that is going to make people frustrated,” Katz mentioned.
‘A MESSAGE OF LIGHT AND HOPE’
Official statistics present antisemitism had already been on the rise earlier than Oct. 7, pushed by the far proper.
Leaders of the far-right Various for Germany get together – presently second in opinion polls – have argued the nation ought to transfer on from atoning for its previous crimes.
Since Oct. 7, some within the authorities have pointed to Germany’s Muslim group as a major supply of antisemitic incidents.
The inside ministry has banned a number of Islamist organizations together with one which celebrated the Hamas assaults by distributing sweets in Berlin, and hiked safety at Jewish establishments.
“Germany should not take in any refugees from Gaza,” Friedrich Merz, chief of the opposition conservatives, mentioned on Oct. 27. “That would exacerbate the antisemitism problem.”
Felix Klein, the federal government official charged with coordinating the combat towards antisemitism, instructed Reuters most antisemitic incidents since Oct. 7 might be traced again to Muslim communities.
These responses have highlighted one other deep fault line in German society. Main members of the Muslim group have accused the federal government of unfairly shifting the blame onto them and utilizing Gaza to gas the ever-divisive debate on immigration.
“Germany has always had a problem with antisemitism, and especially with right extremism,” mentioned Aiman Mazyek, head of Germany’s Central Council of Muslims.
“And now people see a chance to shift that burden, saying: look! It’s not us, it’s the Muslims, the Arabs bringing antisemitism to Germany.”
His considerations have been echoed by rights organisations – and in addition by some main members of Germany’s personal Jewish group who say they really feel a typical trigger towards all types of discrimination.
Greater than 100 German Jewish intellectuals signed an open letter in October expressing their “full solidarity with our Arab, Muslim and especially Palestinian neighbours” who they mentioned had been dealing with racism.
“What frightens us is the prevailing atmosphere of racism and xenophobia in Germany, hand in hand with a constraining and paternalistic philo-Semitism,” they mentioned.
Muslim representatives attended Thursday’s ceremony on the Brandenburg Gate, alongside Jewish and Christian leaders.
Scholz’s main function within the Hanukkah ceremony, on the identical sq. the place the Nazis as soon as paraded, was a potent image, mentioned Rabbi Teichtal.
“Standing in the same place where the Nazis had their marches,” he mentioned. “Isn’t that a message of light and hope?”