Seehofer: Antisemitism is an attack on our liberal democratic society
News Security 11 August 2020
The situation report on antisemitism of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution shows another increase in antisemitic offences
The number of antisemitic offences increased once again in 2018 and 2019, as shown in a situation report on antisemitism compiled by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).
Numbers had already been high in 2016 and 2017 (some 1,500 anti-Jewish offences), but rose by 20 per cent in 2018 to 1,800 offences and by another 13 per cent in 2019: a total of 2,000 antisemitic offences were recorded last year.
Anti-Jewish sentiment is prevalent in all extremist movements – among right-wing extremists, "Reichsbürger" and "Selbstverwalter" as well as among Islamists, extremist foreigners and left-wing extremists. However, the vast majority of antisemitic offences (over 90 per cent) are committed by supporters of right-wing extremist ideologies.
Federal Minister Horst Seehofer: We must protect Jewish life in Germany
"I am deeply concerned about the steady increase in antisemitic offences and the growing intimidation of our Jewish fellow citizens,"
said Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer on the occasion of the publication of the situation report on antisemitism. "Protecting Jewish life in Germany is extremely important to me, not just since the attack in Halle."
Following the attack on the synagogue in Halle, the Act to Fight Right-Wing Extremism and Hate Crime presented by the Federal Minister of the Interior and the Federal Minister of Justice entered into force in early July 2020. The act contains key elements for improving the security of Jewish life in Germany, such as expanding prevention work and stepping up efforts to combat hate and hate speech online.
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"Antisemitism is an attack on the values of our liberal democratic society, and we will be unwavering and unrelenting in opposing it with all the state powers available to us.“
This is key because the situation report on antisemitism also shows that more than half of the cases of incitement to hatred are antisemitic in nature and happen on the internet, which extremists use as a propaganda and communication tool to spread antisemitic ideology.
"We are also expanding prevention work",
said Seehofer. "This year I already banned three associations that were strongly influenced by antisemitic ideology."