In this German state, citizenship applicants must sign statement supporting Israel’s right to exist

In the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, people who are seeking to become naturalised citizens will now have to confirm not only verbally but in writing that they “recognise Israel’s right to exist”, reported the news agency Deutsche Welle (DW). And now the state'sminister is urging all 15 German states to adopt similar rules.

‘Commitment to Israel’s right to exist’

Speaking about the new measure, on Wednesday (Dec 6), ahead of the meeting of state and federal interior ministers, Saxony-Anhalt Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang, a member of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union party, called for similar measures across Germany.

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Her ministry had sent a decree to all Saxony-Anhalt municipalities informing them of the policy in late November.

The decree asks all officials to pay close attention if an applicant exhibits antisemitic attitudes and states that “obtaining German citizenship requires a commitment to Israel’s right to exist.”

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The applicants would also be asked to confirm in writing that they “recognize Israel’s right to exist and condemn any efforts directed against the existence of the State of Israel.”

The Saxony-Anhalt state interior ministry, in a letter to the local authorities, reportedly said naturalisation should be denied if the person engages in activities which would affect Germany’s liberal democratic order as outlined in the country’s Basic Law – which also includes denial of Israel’s right to exist and antisemitism.

The local officials have also been instructed to deny an application if the individual refuses to sign the declaration and make a note of the refusal for future reference.

However, the state regulation is yet to be debated in the Bundestag or German parliament. According to reports, some experts have argued that a written statement does not really confirm if a person is antisemitic or not.

Additionally, critics have also questioned the point of having the written statement as applicants are already required to sign their support of the constitution which includes these measures.

Rise in antisemitism

Germany has claimed a special historical responsibility to protect Jews after the Holocaust where the Nazi government killed more than six million Jews during WWII.

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The proposed measure by the eastern German state comes months after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched one of the deadliest attacks against Israel on October 7.

Israel has since retaliated with constant bombardment and a group operation in Gaza. Amid mounting death toll in the Palestinian enclave which according to the Hamas-run government crossed 17,000, Israel is also garnering criticism from across the world.

The recent war has sparked pro-Palestinian rallies across the world some of which have witnessed antisemitic behaviour.

The RIAS group which is tracking antisemitism in Germany, said it recorded 994 incidents, which is an average of 29 incidents per day – between October 7 and November 9 – and an increase of 320 per cent when compared to the same time periodlast year.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.