Germany marks 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht pogrom against Jews

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Germany will not tolerate antisemitism or Hamas propaganda on the country’s streets, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday.

He made the remarks at a ceremony held in a Berlin synagogue, marking the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, a wave of violent anti-Jewish pogroms in 1938.

Scholz said even decades after the crimes, many Jews still face discrimination or live under fear in Germany.

"That's a disgrace. I'm deeply outraged and ashamed," he said, and promised that authorities will not tolerate any form of antisemitism, whether it comes from German far-right, or far-left, from academics or immigrant groups.

"Every form of antisemitism poisons our society,” Scholz said, and underlined that his government will take a tougher stance against protests where antisemitic slogans are chanted, or Hamas attacks are celebrated.

“We will prosecute anyone who supports terrorism or antisemitic incitement,” he said.

The German government has repeatedly said that Israel’s security is non-negotiable as they bear historical responsibility for the Jews due to the country’s Nazi past.

Palestinian groups organized dozens of rallies in recent weeks demanding a humanitarian cease-fire and condemning Israeli military strikes on Gaza.

The vast majority of the demonstrations were peaceful, but some German politicians demanded a ban on such protests, claiming that they were anti-Israel and supportive of Hamas.

Critics say rhetoric used by politicians is placing all pro-Palestinian protesters under general suspicion of antisemitism, while they are increasingly being stigmatized and subjected to racism.