Germany: Over 1,000 in Nuremberg protest anti-Semitism amid spike in incidences

Description

Hundreds gathered at a rally in Nuremberg on Sunday to protest anti-Semitism amid several incidents in the wake of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Demonstrators were seen waving Israeli flags and holding banners 'for a peaceful coexistence.' Politicians such as the Minister of the Interior of the state of Bavaria, Joachim Herrmann, and Mayor of Nuremberg, Marcus Konig, were present and gave speeches. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are rightly particularly sensitive to anti-Semitism, we often call it the obligatory past. Here in Nuremberg, we feel particularly responsible for not allowing any anti-Semitism in our city, not in word and particularly not in action," said Marcus Konig. He stressed that politics and religious belief are two separate entities. "It is very clear to us that you can criticise politics and political decisions in Israel. But it has nothing to do with belief and this the crucial difference, that people think that politics has to do with the belief but that is not true," Konig added. This comes as Germany experiences a spike in anti-Semitic behaviour that was triggered by the recent conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, evident through incidences such as vandalism of a synagogue memorial stone. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was agreed on with the mediation of Egypt on Thursday. The escalation lasted for 11 days and led to 248 fatalities on the Palestinian side and 12 on the Israeli side, according to the respective authorities.​