anti-Semitism
Joschka Fischer: “I’m ashamed of our country”
Joschka Fischer (Alliance 90/The Greens) was once Foreign Minister. photo
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
In the first month after Hamas’ attack on Israel, 994 anti-Semitic incidents were documented nationwide. Former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer is shocked and looks back on his political time.
With regard to pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Germany, Fischer said: “Our history weighs heavily. We must leave no doubt that we support the state of Israel.” As a young man after the Six-Day War in 1967, he himself had compassion for the Palestinians and felt that they were oppressed by Israel, but at no point did he question Israel’s right to exist.
As Foreign Minister, he experienced how incredibly difficult it was to explain the Israeli position, especially to young people. “When you see people in the West Bank throwing stones at Israeli soldiers who are equipped with the most modern weapons, you get the impression that this is unfair. But Israel cannot allow itself to be weak. Otherwise it will no longer exist,” he said .
In the first month after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel, reporting centers in Germany documented 994 anti-Semitic incidents nationwide. Mathematically, that is 29 cases per day, 320 percent more than the daily average for 2022, reported the Federal Association of Anti-Semitism Research and Information Centers (Rias) at the end of November. The evaluation covers the period October 7th to November 9th, 2023. According to Rias, many Jews experience anti-Semitic incidents in everyday life and feel unsafe.