Germany is stepping up its defenses against anti-Semitism and the threat of radical Islam. Although weak because of internal divisions, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government has managed to act forcefully against two of the factors of rising polarization in a country now facing the risk of social disintegration.
The federal executive’s action followed two lines: reform of the law on the acquisition of citizenship and drastic simplification of expulsions for foreigners who praise jihadist terrorism. In the latter case, it is a bill approved by the government on June 26, on the proposal of the Interior Minister Nancy Faeser who was clear: «Let’s come down hard on Islamist and anti-Semitic hate crimes on the Internet». In concrete terms, a comment on the web glorifying jihadist terrorism will be enough to expel and deport the foreigner who is the author from Germany.
Security interests therefore prevail over the right to remain on German soil where, as Faeser pointed out, “there is no place for Islamists who incite hatred, still living in the Stone Age”. This crackdown on radical Islam is accompanied by a relaxation in the acquisition of German citizenship. The primary objective is to facilitate the immigration of qualified workers, which Germany desperately needs. To this end, the law that came into force yesterday provides that one can be naturalized after five years of residence in the country, no longer eight as previously. The time frame drops to three years in the case of particular merits in integration, from study to volunteering. Furthermore, dual citizenship is introduced, family reunifications are simplified and facilitations are established for the generation of “Gastarbeiter”, those immigrant workers in particular from Italy and Turkey who contributed significantly to the reconstruction of Germany after the Second World War. As stated by Justice Minister Marco Buschmann, those who intend to support themselves at the state’s expense, for example with the citizen’s income, will not be granted a German passport. Naturalization is also explicitly excluded for anti-Semites. To this end, questions on the recognition of Israel’s right to exist have been included in the naturalization test. Applicants will also have to commit to recognizing the values of a liberal-democratic and open society, as well as Germany’s “special historical responsibility” for the Nazi dictatorship and its consequences, “in particular for the protection of Judaism.
Meanwhile, the existence of Jews in Germany appears increasingly at risk. In 2023, according to the Office for Research and Information on Anti-Semitism (RIAS), there were 4,782 crimes against Jews committed on German soil, an increase of 83% on an annual basis.
