The Federal Cabinet today appointed Ambassador Felix Klein to be Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism, effective 1 May 2018.

"Felix Klein will advance the cause of Jewish life in Germany with persistence and tact and will devote his energy to fighting antisemitism," Horst Seehofer, Federal Minister of the Interior, said.

He also stressed how important the Federal Government considers Jewish life and the fight against antisemitism: "Ambassador Klein has been very involved with Jewish life in Germany in recent years and has earned great recognition from the Jewish community in Germany and beyond."

After studying law, Ambassador Klein completed training for the diplomatic service with the Federal Foreign Office from 1994 to 1996. Since March 2014, he has served in the Federal Foreign Office as Special Representative for Relations with Jewish Organizations and Issues relating to Antisemitism.

The position of Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism was created by the Federal Government’s coalition agreement. The post was also a response to the debate over increasing antisemitism in Germany and how the federal level could best counter this phenomenon. The Federal Government Commissioner will be based at the Federal Ministry of the Interior.