Katharina von Schnurbein, the new federal government spokeswoman for anti-Semitism, maintains that Germany has a pioneering role to play in the fight against anti-Judaism. According to her comments to the Rheinische Post on Wednesday, her ultimate, long-term aim is to fully normalize Jewish life in Germany, to the extent that people would not easily recognize someone as Jewish.
She emphasized that normalization means ensuring Jewish children do not face hostility on school grounds, that “Jew” is no longer used as a slur, and that children who attend Jewish schools never have to be secured behind police protection or armored glass-these conditions, she states, should be the standard. Furthermore, Schnurbein asserted that Germany must also become the main engine in the European effort to combat anti-Semitism.
However, she stressed that Germany has reached a point she believes “likely unprecedented since the Shoah.” She pointed out that anti-Semitism is now spread “openly and shamelessly.” While noting that anti-Semitism has always existed and has never been gone, she expressed deep concern that individuals making anti-Semitic remarks today fear no consequences.
