Antisemitism Incidents put Germany at risk of return to 'horrific times'

Germany's antisemitism commissioner has condemned the country's recent increase in incidents of antiJewish violence, warning that they risk transporting the country back to its "most horrific times".

- Ashifa Kassam

In an interview with the Guardian, however, Felix Klein said he was also worried about an erosion of basic rights as officials seek to crack down on expressions of support for the Palestinian people.

The remarks tap into a debate that has played out across Europe and in particular in Germany and France home to the EU's largest Jewish and Muslim communities - as officials scramble to contain the tensions sparked by the Israel-Hamas war.

Klein, who became Germany's first federal commissioner tasked with battling antisemitism in 2018, said many people in the country were worried that the situation would continue to deteriorate.

"People are shocked to hear news of houses where Jews live being marked with a Star of David," he said.

"Because that, of course, rings a bell and brings us back to the most horrific times we had in this country." German police have responded to a rise in antisemitism by preemptively banning most rallies in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Last week education authorities in Ber-lin went further, telling schools they could ban students from wearing the Palestinian flag, kufiya scarf and "free Palestine" stickers.