The German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz of the CDU, underscored the vital role of the Central Council of Jews in Germany during a commemoration marking its 75th anniversary in Berlin on Wednesday. He characterized the organization as having rapidly become “a lifeline for democratic culture” within the country.
Merz emphasized the Central Council’s function as “an irreplaceable partner of the federal government” asserting that the Federal Republic of Germany would have been irrevocably diminished without the presence of Jewish life and culture. He acknowledged the profound isolation experienced by Jewish communities in Germany immediately following the Second World War, who were left to grapple with the devastation of the Holocaust, their shock and their mourning for the murdered.
The Chancellor also defended his prior statements regarding Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, reiterating the necessity for constructive criticism of the Israeli government’s policies. However, he cautioned against such critiques being exploited as a pretext for antisemitism. He firmly stated that Germany’s commitment to the existence and security of the State of Israel remains “an unnegotiable component of the normative foundations of our country”.
