Rivlin says ‘alarm bells should be ringing’

The presidents of Israel and Germany warn of growing anti-Semitism as they mark half a century of diplomatic ties, 70 years after the end of World War II and the Holocaust.

“I am very worried. Worldwide anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish slogans are on the rise,” says President Reuven Rivlin, who is on a state visit to Berlin to mark the anniversary of bilateral relations.

“In the entire free world — and especially in Europe, given its not too distant past — alarm bells should be ringing,” he says in comments to German and Israeli newspapers.

Rivlin’s German counterpart, Joachim Gauck, shares in the joint interview concern about rising hate speech against Jews and the state of Israel, both in his country and elsewhere in Europe.

“In Germany too, during demonstrations last year, we saw anti-Semitism, some of it cloaked as criticism of Israel, some of it open,” he says, referring to street protests against Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip over the past summer.

“In addition to a ‘traditional’ anti-Semitism we are increasingly confronted with anti-Semitism from immigrant families,” says Gauck, adding that this “made me and the overwhelming majority of Germans feel deeply ashamed”.

The presidents, who are both aged 75, stress that German-Israeli ties have grown strong despite the enduring dark legacy of the Holocaust during which Nazi Germany killed six million Jews.

— AFP