Jews 'don't feel safe' three years after October 7, Germany’s new antisemitism czar tells 'Post'

Germany's new antisemitism commissioner Dr. Katharina von Schnurbein tells the Jerusalem Post that Jews in Germany do not feel safe three years after October 7, citing a threefold increase in antisemitic incidents. She plans to travel to all federal states in her first 100 days to mobilize a silent majority against antisemitism.

Dr. Katharina von Schnurbein, Germany's newly appointed commissioner for Jewish life and the fight against antisemitism, told the Jerusalem Post in an interview that Jews in Germany do not feel safe three years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre. Von Schnurbein, who previously served as the European Commission's antisemitism coordinator for over a decade, said antisemitic incidents in Germany have tripled compared to before October 7. She described Jews hiding their Star of David, not wearing kippot, avoiding giving home addresses to Uber drivers, and removing mezuzahs from doorposts. The commissioner plans to spend her first 100 days traveling to all German federal states to build a network of people willing to confront antisemitism, aiming to mobilize what she calls the silent majority. She noted that Israel-related antisemitism has become one of the most prevalent forms, and that combating antisemitism is necessary for defending democracy. The article also references German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's recent call at a Kristallnacht commemoration for Germans to stand against hatred of Jews from all political extremes.

Jews 'don't feel safe' three years after October 7, Germany’s new antisemitism czar tells 'Post'