The key facts
- Merz spoke on November 9 at the Ohel Jakob synagogue in Munich on the anniversary of the 1938 Nazi pogroms
- RIAS recorded 8,725 antisemitic incidents in 2025 — about 24 per day, three times the 2022 figure (2,610)
- The Chancellor called armed guards at synagogues and armored glass an alarming sign of the threat
The Chancellor's admission on the anniversary of the pogroms
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on November 9 spoke at the Ohel Jakob synagogue in Munich at a ceremony marking the synagogue's 20th anniversary and the anniversary of the Nazi pogroms of 1938, Reuters reports. 'Today, antisemitism is once again everywhere. We see and hear it on our streets, in our cities, in the cities of our European neighbors and around the world, in parliaments, in civil society organizations, in schools,' he said, according to Life.ru.
Security as an 'alarming sign'
According to Merz, the authorities, together with the leadership of the federal states, are taking additional measures to protect Jews, but the very fact that armed guards are stationed outside religious institutions and buildings are fitted with armored glass is, the Chancellor said, an alarming sign of the persisting threat. Such measures, he emphasized, constantly remind of the impossibility of a normal, open and visible Jewish life in modern Germany. At the same time, Berlin intends to continue supporting Israel, considering this part of its historical responsibility.
Statistics confirm the scale of the problem
The scale of the phenomenon is illustrated by data from the Federal Association of Research and Information Centers on Antisemitism (RIAS): according to a report published in June, 8,725 incidents were recorded in the country in 2025 — an average of about 24 per day. This is more than three times the 2022 figure, when 2,610 incidents were registered. Comparing these figures with the Chancellor's statement shows that the number of recorded incidents has more than tripled over three years — what the head of government described as the 'ubiquity' of the phenomenon is also reflected in official statistics.
Political backdrop
The speech took place against a backdrop of growing public discontent: earlier, Life.ru reported preparations for a large-scale student strike against Merz, scheduled for November 20. The protests may affect 35 universities in 33 cities across the country; participants are demanding the Chancellor's resignation, an end to militarization and the return of compulsory military service, as well as increased education funding. Sources draw no connection between the strike and the topic of antisemitism — these are two separate events that coincide only in their political context.
