Merz: Muslim immigrants who reject Germany’s blame for Holocaust ‘must leave our country’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Muslim immigrants who reject Germany's historical responsibility for the Holocaust must leave the country, speaking at a Berlin reception for Jewish athletes at the Maccabiah Games. The remarks followed a coach telling Merz that Jewish athletes feared wearing Star of David jackets in public. Germany recorded 2,197 antisemitic incidents in Berlin in 2025.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Muslim immigrants who refuse to acknowledge Germany's historical responsibility for the Holocaust "must leave our country." Speaking at a Berlin reception for Jewish athletes who represented Germany at this year's Maccabiah Games, Merz said the country's historical responsibility applies to those who come from Islamic countries. The remarks followed a Maccabiah basketball coach telling Merz that Jewish athletes on his team feared wearing their team jackets, which bear a Star of David, in public. Merz referenced a 1985 Bundestag speech by former German president Richard von Weizsäcker, which emphasized recognizing Germany's role in the genocide of six million Jews. Germany has faced persistently high antisemitism, with 2,197 anti-Jewish incidents recorded in Berlin in 2025, according to a RIAS report. The figure was down about 13% from 2,521 incidents the previous year but remained more than double pre-October 7, 2023 levels. The article's framing relies on Merz's direct quote without sourcing procedural details or alternative perspectives.