Karin Prien, a member of the center-right CDU party, has been elected to the position of Minister of Education of Germany and will be the first Jewish minister since 1922.
The only Jewish minister to date who sat at the government table in Germany was former Foreign Minister Walther Rathenau, who was assassinated just five months after being appointed by far-right figures with antisemitic motives
Prien, 59, was born in Amsterdam, serves as the spokesperson for the Jewish forum of the CDU, and currently serves as the Minister of Education of the Schleswig-Holstein region.
In the past, she signed a petition condemning the academic boycott of Israel: "We oppose all forms of boycotts directed against Israeli researchers and Israeli academic institutions."
"We firmly advocate for cooperation and continued work with them. We are convinced that the exclusion of Israeli researchers contradicts fundamental principles of professional conduct and academic freedom."
The new government represents a comeback for the center-right party that returned to lead Germany after losing the elections in 2021.
The next chancellor will be Friedrich Merz, who was considered a significant rival of party leader Angela Merkel.
Alongside the CDU, the current ruling party SPD from the center-left will be part of the governing coalition.