Following anti‑Semitic incidents in Kiel and the controversy at the Berlinale, Schleswig‑Holstein aims to strengthen criminal law. Premier Daniel Günther (CDU) will present a proposal at the state premiers’ conference on March 5. The proposal would categorize hatred toward Jews and toward Israel as a “particularly severe form of incitement to hatred” according to the portal Politico.
The states also call for a noticeable increase in the minimum penalty for such offenses. Attacks on peaceful assembly participants should be punished “more sharply than before”.
Günther’s rationale for the initiative points to the recent assault on a pro‑Israel demonstration in Kiel and anti‑Israel statements made at the Berlinale. He described these as “an intolerable expression of anti‑Semitic and anti‑Israelist hate”. Anti‑Semitic incidents, he warned, have reached “an intolerable extent in both quantity and quality”.
The draft resolution states that anti‑Israeli sentiment and anti‑Semitism “must be condemned in every respect” regardless of ideological background. The rule of law must meet the challenge “with all the means at its disposal”.
Günther linked the proposal to a broader message: “The protection of Jewish life is a measure of its credibility”. He insists that the promise of “never again” should not become a empty slogan. “This must not be our Germany 2026”.
