Josef Schuster, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, warned that the Jewish community in the country was “under massive threat” due to right wing extremism.
His remarks were made after the publication of a report by the Office of the Protection of the Constitution, Juedische Allgemeine reported.
The report, announced by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution Thomas Haldenwang, gave an assessment of the constitution protection authorities who concluded that the greatest threat to democracy in Germany was right wing extremism.
“The new report on the protection of the constitution shows that Jewish life in Germany continues to be massively threatened. The greatest danger comes from the right-wing extremist scene,” Schuster said.
He noted: “The number of antisemitic crimes committed by right-wing extremists alone has increased by around twelve percent compared to the previous year.”
He advocated for proactive measures and for police to focus on antisemitic incidents, and for the state to engage civil society in the fight.
“[I hope] that the Democracy Promotion Act planned by the Federal Government can be passed soon,” he said.