Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor warned on Wednesday that Jewish families in Germany are once again living in fear, drawing parallels between the growing threats facing the Jewish community today and the events of Kristallnacht 88 years ago.
In a social media post marking the anniversary of the November 1938 Nazi pogrom, Prosor recalled how ordinary Germans witnessed the violence against their Jewish neighbors, often without intervening.
"The Night of Broken Glass took place in the heart of German society. Neighbors watched. People remained silent. Many turned a blind eye as Jewish businesses were vandalized, synagogues set ablaze, and Jews were brutally attacked, persecuted, and murdered."
Prosor warned that the dangers confronting Germany's Jewish population have once again become part of everyday life, affecting children, university students and Jewish-owned businesses.
"88 years later," he wrote, "Jewish parents in Germany once again have to fear for their children’s safety when sending them to school. Jewish students face hostility and attacks at universities. Jewish businesses are boycotted. Jewish life is once again being targeted."
The ambassador emphasized that commemorating the atrocities of the Nazi era must be accompanied by a willingness to confront antisemitism in the present.
"November 9th does not merely remind us of what happened back then. It obliges us to take responsibility today," Prosor wrote.
"Remembrance and solemn speeches are not enough. We must speak up when others remain silent. Not just on November 9th, but every single day."
His warning comes amid persistently high levels of antisemitism in Germany.
Figures published by the antisemitism monitoring organization RIAS show that 8,725 antisemitic incidents were documented across the country in 2025, compared with 8,627 in 2024 and 2,480 in 2022.
The 2025 figures included 178 incidents of physical violence and 257 cases involving threats. According to the organization, 68% of all recorded antisemitic incidents were related to Israel.
Prosor's remarks followed a warning issued Monday by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said Germany must demonstrate through concrete action that its commitment to preventing a recurrence of the Holocaust remains meaningful.
Addressing a ceremony at the Ohel Jakob Synagogue in Munich commemorating the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, Merz expressed alarm over the increasingly visible manifestations of antisemitism, both in Germany and internationally.
"Antisemitism is once again omnipresent," Merz said. "We see and hear it on our streets, in our cities, in the cities of our European neighbors and around the world, in parliaments, in associations, and in schools."
The Chancellor warned that antisemitic attitudes are sometimes presented as opposition to colonialism or criticism of Israel, while other expressions of antisemitism rely on distorted interpretations of history.
"And that is why now is the moment of truth for the 'Never Again' that we pronounce so often and on so many occasions," he declared.
Merz also reiterated Germany's responsibility to support Israel, describing the Jewish state's continued existence as inseparable from the country's historical obligations following the Holocaust.
"We stand unwaveringly at Israel's side," he stated.
The Chancellor explained that Germany's historical responsibility includes ensuring the existence of a Jewish state where Jews can live without being a vulnerable minority and find refuge from persecution.