German chancellor: Jewish life in Germany ‘no longer safe’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that Jewish life in Germany “is no longer safe”, describing the rise in antisemitism as one of the country’s gravest challenges.

Merz made the stark assessment at a press conference in Berlin on Monday, where he pledged to use “everything at our disposal” to protect Jewish communities.

“The CDU, and I personally, are committed to doing everything possible to ensure that Jewish life in Germany, and here in the capital, Berlin, is safe,” Merz said, according to Germany’s dpa news agency.

“And wherever that is threatened, we will oppose it with everything at our disposal.”

The chancellor said the increasingly open expression of antisemitism in Germany has reached an unacceptable level, singling out developments on Berlin’s streets, in public spaces and in the media.

Addressing Jewish communities in Berlin and around the world, he said what had become possible in the German capital “is a disgrace for Germany, and I will do everything in my power to bring it under control and push it back”.

Merz pointed to what he described as a rise in radical and openly expressed antisemitism in recent months, including incidents in which such views had been applauded.

“The fact that Jewish life is no longer safe in Germany is the heaviest burden of recent years,” he said, adding that the situation should deeply concern the country’s democratic parties.

The comments came after Merz’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered heavy defeats in two state elections.

In Berlin, the far-left Die Linke, or Left Party, came first in an election which has also brought renewed scrutiny over allegations of antisemitism within parts of the party.

Jewish leaders have raised concerns about the party, while the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens, which could play a role in forming Berlin’s next government, have also called for the issue to be addressed.

Merz appeared to address them directly, saying: “And I very much hope that the SPD in particular, but also the Greens, will give a very clear response here, especially here in Berlin.”

Die Linke has rejected accusations that it tolerates antisemitism and has said it is committed to protecting Jewish life.

Merz’s warning comes amid concern over antisemitism in Germany, where Jewish communities have faced increased threats and hostility since the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel and the war in Gaza.