Politics · Germany · 13 hrs ago
Merz says Germany must protect Jewish life amid rising antisemitism
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany faces a test in protecting its Jewish community from antisemitism.
He spoke at Munich’s Ohel Jakob synagogue on November 9, the anniversary of the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom against Jews.
Jewish sites still need heavy security, including bulletproof glass and armed police, Merz said.
He promised the government would do everything it can to protect Jewish life in Germany and abroad, and reaffirmed support for Israel.
RIAS recorded 8,725 antisemitic incidents last year, more than three times the number in 2022; the group said incidents have risen sharply since the Gaza war began in 2023.
Kristallnacht was a wave of killings and attacks on Jewish homes, shops and synagogues that preceded the Holocaust, in which more than six million European Jews were murdered.
Merz called the moment a test of “Never again”, while other speakers said Jewish people in Germany still face fear and insecurity.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the country must protect Jewish life as antisemitism rises.
Speaking at a Munich synagogue, he called antisemitism “omnipresent” and said Germany faced a test of its commitment to “Never again.”
Merz said his government would do everything in its power to protect Jewish life in Germany and abroad, and reaffirmed support for Israel.
Bavarian parliament speaker Ilse Aigner called the climate of fear faced by Jews “a disgrace for our country.”
The event marked the anniversary of the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom and the 20th anniversary of Munich’s Ohel Jakob synagogue.
- Who
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke at the event, alongside Bavarian parliament speaker Ilse Aigner and other officials.
- What
- Merz said Germany must protect Jewish life amid rising antisemitism and reaffirmed support for Israel.
- When
- November 9, 2026.
- Where
- Ohel Jakob synagogue in Munich, Germany.
- Why
- The event marked the anniversary of the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom and took place amid rising antisemitism.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Kristallnacht pogrom began, with killings of Jews and destruction and looting of Jewish property.
Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel, according to the Straits Times article.
Munich’s Ohel Jakob synagogue opened as a replacement for the main synagogue destroyed by the Nazis in 1938.
Merz spoke at Ohel Jakob on the Kristallnacht anniversary and the synagogue’s 20th anniversary.
- Speaker
- Friedrich Merz, German chancellor
- Location
- Ohel Jakob synagogue, Munich
- Event date
- November 9, 2026
- Synagogue opened
- November 9, 2006
- Reported antisemitic incidents
- 8,725 in 2025, according to the RIAS annual report cited by the Straits Times
- Historical anniversary
- Kristallnacht began on November 9, 1938
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What people are saying
And that is why this is now the moment of truth for the 'Never again' that we utter so often
Hohe Mauern, Panzerglas, bewaffnete Sicherheitskräfte vor jüdischen Einrichtungen: Das erinnert beständig daran, dass ein normales, offenes, sichtbares jüdisches Leben in Deutschland immer noch nicht möglich ist
Dieses Klima der Angst ist eine Schande für unser Land
Wir lassen nicht zu, dass sich Geschichte wiederholt