German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed a crowd of around 5,000 Sunday at a “Stand Up: Jew Hatred – Never Again!” rally at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
“The fight against anti-Semitism is our state and civic duty,” said Merkel. “I will not accept it, and none of us here will accept it.”
In July, at the height of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, Germany’s Jewish community condemned an “explosion of evil and violent hatred of Jews” at pro-Palestinian rallies where some demonstrators chanted that Jews should be “gassed”, “burnt” and “slaughtered”.
More seriously, four people were shot dead in May at the Jewish museum in Brussels, Belgium. The museum only reopened on Sunday.
The spate of ugly incidents that deeply unsettled Germany’s resurgent 200,000-strong Jewish community also saw a petrol bomb hurled at the facade of a synagogue in the western city of Wuppertal.
Amb #Wittig: Ystdy Chllr #Merkel took part in rally against anti-semitism. "Fighting anti-semitism is a German duty" pic.twitter.com/HMpVsi4V0L
— German Embassy (@GermanyinUSA) September 15, 2014
"Jew hatred – never again!". #Merkel vows to combat #antisemitism at 5,000-strong Sunday rally http://t.co/zAG0cVQDii pic.twitter.com/3TlVPZRrCW
— The Local Germany (@TheLocalGermany) September 15, 2014
5000 attended #Berlin rally against Jew Hatred. Merkel:"It's our national and civic duty to fight #antisemitism" pic.twitter.com/MYZyOc5NdH
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) September 15, 2014
Angela Merkel's commitment to fight anti semitism – another example why she is a great Chancellor of Germany pic.twitter.com/d2zotyD06T
— Robert Halfon MP -Working Hard for Harlow- (@halfon4harlowMP) September 15, 2014
Very scary times ahead "Police must guard every synagogue in Germany" says Merkel #antisemitism http://t.co/QDsVTEFjuZ
— Nikki Samuels (@NikkiSamuels) September 15, 2014
Angela Merkel: Fighting Antisemitism is a German duty http://t.co/hndWtldKj1 RT support for Merkel taking a stand against #intolerance!
— Holocaust Center (@HolocaustTolCtr) September 15, 2014
https://twitter.com/Yair_Rosenberg/status/511594360652062720
https://twitter.com/JoeyL3rd/status/511594771077660674
@Yair_Rosenberg Where is that? How appalling!
— R Lesses ???⚽️? (@argaman) September 15, 2014
https://twitter.com/Yair_Rosenberg/status/511610265008234496
@Yair_Rosenberg God almighty is that NOW? Just wicked.
— Sara (@Tywyngirl) September 15, 2014
https://twitter.com/zachschapira/status/511331765685059585
Merkel condemns #Antisemitism as threat to all. Strong condemnation. Reassures. Leadership with courage @RegSprecher #FocalPoints
— Stephen D. Smith (@StephensTweets) September 14, 2014