German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas
German Foreign Minister Heiko MaasReuters

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas published a greeting ahead of the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which begins at sundown on Friday.

"I wish Israel and all the Jews, their families and friends in Germany and around the world a Happy New Year", Maas wrote.

Mass related to the surge of anti-Semitism and added: "I see the past year as a warning to all of us - anti-Semitism and hatred are a threat to society as a whole and we must stand firm against them".