German Antisemitism Commissioner Warns Jews May Leave If Far-Right AfD Gains Power

Felix Klein, Germany's Commissioner for Combating Antisemitism, has warned that many Jewish families are considering leaving the country if the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party achieves electoral success in upcoming state elections. Klein expressed concern over the prospect of a party labeled by Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as "clearly far-right extremist" gaining political responsibility at the state level. The elections are scheduled for September 6 in Saxony-Anhalt and September 20 in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Klein, who is concluding his term this month after being appointed in 2018, highlighted a worsening situation for Jews in Germany, noting a record over 6,000 antisemitic incidents last year compared to fewer than 1,500 when he took office. He linked the rise partly to the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war, which he said lowered barriers to overt antisemitism. Despite this, Klein said trust in Germany and its political leadership remains "relatively strong," with global Jewish interest in German citizenship growing.

In the interview, Klein called for tougher criminal laws against antisemitism and support for terrorist organizations, advocating prison sentences of at least six months for those who cheer Hamas at demonstrations. He also recommended deporting foreign nationals without legal residency after conviction. Klein urged expanding customs authorities' powers to block terror financing and continuing government-backed projects combating antisemitism under the "Living Democracy" program.

He further demanded mandatory antisemitism education in teacher training and school curricula, disciplinary action against teachers expressing antisemitic views, and a positive integration of Jewish life in education to prevent associations of Judaism solely with antisemitism, the Middle East conflict, or the Holocaust. Klein will end his role this month and become Germany's ambassador to the OECD in Paris.