Hostility against Jews is not shared by the German people as a whole, but all incidents of anti-Semitism must be prosecuted “vigorously and ruthlessly, ” according to the consensus of leading Germans who contributed to a symposium on resurgent anti-Semitism in the current issue of the periodical “Die Zeit. ” Leading politicians, jurists, educators and authors have participated in the symposium.
“Widespread anti-Semitism does not exist in the Federal Republic, ” and anti-Jewish hostility is “the spiteful reaction” of a few who have gone astray, in the opinion of Dr. Eugen Gerstenmaier, Speaker of the lower house of Parliament.
Another contributor, Hamburg State Attorney Ernst Bucholz, declares that only “confused fanatics” are Jew-baiters in Germany today. An educator, Prof. Karl Schiller, declares that German youth is far “too skeptical and sober” to succumb to the harangues of Nazi agitators.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
