The Central Council of Jews complains about more and more anti-Semitic acts of violence in Germany. “It doesn’t just stop at words and damage to property, but the violence is more and more often directed against Jews themselves,” Council President Josef Schuster told the “Welt”.
The newspaper reported on a response from the federal government to a request from Bundestag Vice President Petra Pau (left), according to which the number of anti-Jewish acts of violence in 2022 rose from 63 to 88 offenses in 2022 compared to the previous year. Schuster said that this reflects the experience of Jews in Germany.
According to “Welt”, a total of 2,639 anti-Semitic crimes were recorded by the Federal Criminal Police Office in 2022. In the previous year 2021 there were still 3028 crimes, but the usual late reports are not included here.
“It’s a shame for our country”
The number of anti-Semitic crimes has risen steadily over the past four years. Violent acts include dangerous bodily harm or extortion, as well as arson attacks and hate speech.
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) told the “Welt”: “It is a shame for our country how much anti-Semitic hate speech is still being spread today and how often Jews are still being attacked and attacked.” Anti-Semitic crimes must have clearly noticeable consequences for the perpetrators.
Around 100,000 Jews are organized in Jewish communities in Germany. The Central Council of Jews represents the vast majority.
Pau said: “Rising anti-Semitism poses a threat to our entire society.” She has been querying the figures for each quarter for years. Pau criticized the fact that there were sometimes significant and late reports in the statistics. The Ministry of the Interior subsequently corrected the number of anti-Semitic crimes in the third quarter from 306 to 653 cases.
