November 9, 2023 was the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht. We, the Germans, remember this horrific chapter in our history, but we must not stop at the past – the present obliges us to act and speak with a loud voice.
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On November 9, 1938, synagogues across Germany were set ablaze; Jewish shops were destroyed. Hundreds of Jews were killed, others were driven to suicide. These pogroms were a milestone on the path towards a moral abyss. The systematic persecution of all European Jews culminated with the Holocaust.
Today, 85 years later, I mourn the victims of this hatred and bow my head before the survivors, who, fortunately, are still among us.
Today, some 120,000 Jews live in Germany. Jewish life has long since returned to a new Germany, which aspires to ensure that all its citizens – regardless of religion or ethnicity – live with dignity and mutual respect. This is the promise of our constitution and the lesson from our history: No one should have his or her dignity infringed.
It pains me to say that today, after the inhumane terror of Hamas on October 7, Jews in Germany are afraid again. Despite the solidarity of all democratic parties and a large swath of the population, despite the Brandenburg Gate being lit in the colors of the Israeli flag – blue and white – they are afraid.
It is jarring to see the handful of manifestations of hatred that deny Israel's right to exist; we see attacks on synagogues and Stars of David scrawled on the walls of homes where Jews reside.
I want to say to all our friends in Israel: These days, we sadly realize that the poison of antisemitism is also active in our country. We want a Germany where a person wearing a yarmulke has nothing to fear on our streets; a Germany where one can speak the wonderful Hebrew language on the subway without feeling threatened. This is what we will fight for. We will use the full force of the law, with the police, and – if necessary – with additional political means; we will use education, and, most importantly, will use our the citizens who don't simply look away when antisemites reveal themselves, but speak up and stand by the Jews.
We've said "never again" so many times and with such great conviction. Now is the time to prove it, and that's what we will do.
Steffen Seibert is the German ambassador to Israel
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