SOCIAL MEDIA TO BLAME FOR GROWING ANTISEMITISM, GERMAN PRESIDENT SAYS - JPOST.COM STAFF JUNE 29, 2017

A man wearing a kippah at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.. (photo credit:REUTERS)

SOCIAL MEDIA TO BLAME FOR GROWING ANTISEMITISM, GERMAN PRESIDENT SAYS

BYJPOST.COM STAFF

 

 JUNE 29, 2017 13:08

 

Addressing a crowd at a historic synagogue, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier affirms Germany's commitment to its Jews, while condemning increasing anti-Jewish sentiment.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier denounced growing antisemitism in his country on Wednesday, German newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine reported.

Speaking at the 100th anniversary of the Augsburg synagogue, the president noted that while most Germans stand against antisemitism, a growing trend of anti-Jewish hatred is being spread on social media, in part due to some Muslim immigrant groups. 

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"Social media often propagates the spread of hate messages and antisemitic 

provocation," he said, noting the trend is growing across Europe.

Despite this, however, Steinmeier noted that, in comparison to France, 

Germany's Jews are staying put, rather than immigrating to Israel. 

He affirmed his hope that Germany "can once again be the home of which 

the Jews were robbed."

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Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Reuters)

The president, who visited Israel during his tenure as foreign minister, was 

joined by German and Israeli notables - including Israeli ambassador 

Yaacov-David Hadas Handelsmann and Chairman Josef Shuster of the 

Central Council of Jews in Germany - for the anniversary celebration. 

Augsburg's synagogue was the only one in Bavaria, a southern German state, 

to have survived the destruction by the Nazis.

Following the discussion last week of a 300-page report on antisemitism 

in the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament, Shuster has 

called on the government to appoint a commissioner to address widespread 

antisemitism in the country. The report found that anti-Jewish sentiments 

were noted at all levels of German society, particularly on social media.