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Jewish leaders concerned by rising anti-Semitism in Germany

Jewish leaders have expressed concern following a 10 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Germany over the past six months.

By: World Israel News Staff 

Several Jewish leaders from around the world have expressed strong concern following the release of new figures in Germany indicating a 10 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the country over the course of the first half of 2018 when compared with the same period in 2017.

The German Interior Ministry said in its annual crime statistics survey that police received reports of 1,453 anti-Semitic incidents in 2017— four per day.

World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald Lauder noted that “the German government has demonstrated admirable commitment to combating anti-Semitism, including the appointment of Ambassador Felix Klein as the first federal government commissioner working on behalf of the Jewish community.”

“Nevertheless, it is clear that concerted efforts are needed across the board to arrest the steady rise in violent incidents and harassment and ensure that German Jews continue to feel secure and valued as all German citizens deserve,” he stated.

“The WJC stands ready to assist our community in Germany, as well as all levels of government, to work toward implementing the necessary steps to quell anti-Semitism across the country,” Lauder said.

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Some 349 out of the 401 anti-Semitic incidents recorded this year were reported as being perpetrated by those with far right-wing tendencies, while 80 such incidents occurred in Berlin.

Germany’s population of 82.8 million includes only about 200,000 Jews. Berlin has the biggest concentration with about 40,000.

In one of the latest attacks, an Israeli philosophy professor who teaches in the US was assaulted in the German city of Bonn in July by a 20-year-old German whom local media described as having “Palestinian roots.”

President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany and WJC Vice President Josef Schuster has called for the implementation of an effective, nationwide system to report anti-Semitism with a suitable threshold to be used when evaluating suspected cases.