German Chancellor Attends Rally Against Anti-Semitism

German Chancellor Angela Merkel led a rally in Berlin on Sunday against anti-Semitism. She assured her citizens that Jewish life is part of Germany’s identity. She added that she wants to ensure that Jews feel “safe” in Germany.

Merkel addressed thousands of Germans at the Brandenburg gate in Germany’s capital.

“It pains me to hear of young Jewish parents asking whether they can raise their children in Germany or older people asking whether it was right to stay.”

Merkel rarely attends such demonstrations. However, she and German President Joachim Gauck joined this rally organized by the Central Council of Jews in Germany.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has prompted pro-Gaza demonstrations across Europe. These protests provoked a rise in anti-Jewish rhetoric and violence. The German government reported 131 anti-Semitic incidents in July, compared to 159 from the previous three months.

France’s Interior Ministry noted that anti-Semitic incidents were up 91 percent from January to July compared to the same time period in 2013. Britain also saw a 36 percent increase in anti-Semitic acts from the first half of the year to the previous year.

World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder also spoke at the event.

“This summer all that progress from the last 70 years has been darkened by the rising tide of anti-Semitism. There were some places I might expect to see this, but not here in Germany.”

More than half a million Jews lived in Germany before the Nazis took power in 1933. After the end of World War ii, approximately 15,000 Jews remained in the country. As Merkel said, it is “verging on a miracle that well above 100,000 Jews live in Germany today.”

The Trumpet closely follows growing anti-Semitism in Europe. For more information on where this trend will lead, watch our Trumpet Daily program “Why So Much Hatred for Jews?”