German Leaders Mark October 7 Anniversary With Calls to Fight Antisemitism

Germany’s senior political leaders marked the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel with renewed warnings about antisemitism and calls for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany was witnessing rising antisemitism that too often went unchallenged. In a statement reported by DW, he said his government would do everything possible to combat it and that Jewish people must be able to live without fear throughout Germany.

Merz also reaffirmed Germany’s support for Israel and said Israeli citizens could rely on Berlin’s commitment to preventing a repetition of the attacks. At the same time, he pressed for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said antisemitism had intensified in Germany in an intolerable way since October 7.

He said Germany must continue to stand up both for Israel’s security and for the dignity and self-determination of Palestinians, while preserving the prospect of peaceful coexistence in the Middle East. Bundestag Speaker Julia Klöckner said combating antisemitism required political action. She argued that antisemitism should have no place on Germany’s streets or in political debate.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who attended a Berlin commemoration, described antisemitism as a “poison” that threatened to spread through parts of society and called for opposition to it every day. The October 7 attack killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage to Gaza, according to the DW report. The attack was carried out by Hamas and affiliated Palestinian militants, and was described as the deadliest attack on Jews since the end of the Holocaust.

Israel’s ensuing war in Gaza has caused more than 74,000 deaths, DW reported. The report noted that some countries and human-rights groups have accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians, a claim included as part of the continuing dispute over the conduct of the war. Demonstrations were held in Germany to remember victims of both the Hamas attacks and Israel’s subsequent military campaign.

In Berlin, police estimated that about 1,700 people gathered at Bebelplatz, many carrying Israeli flags. Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor and Dobrindt attended the event. The square is also associated with Nazi book burnings after the Nazi party took power in 1933.

Germany has supported Israel throughout the war, although Merz halted the delivery of some military equipment amid growing legal concerns, including arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. DW reported that Merz has nevertheless said Germany would not arrest Netanyahu if he travelled there, despite Germany being party to the treaty establishing the court.