recognition of Israel a necessary condition for obtaining German citizenship?
Germany has the largest Arab and Muslim population in Europe, accounting for 6.6 percent of the total population. Of the 5.5 million Muslims living here, approximately 2.5 million are of Turkish origin.
But the recent war in Gaza has created new challenges for some Muslims and Arabs in Germany, such as how to express solidarity with the Palestinians.
Some protests were banned by the authorities. In some schools in the capital Berlin, the wearing of the Palestinian headscarf with the uniform is prohibited.
The state of Saxony recently added a new condition for obtaining German citizenship, sparking controversy in the country’s Arab and Muslim circles.
Last week, the German state made it mandatory for those applying for citizenship to state in writing that they “recognize Israel’s right to exist and condemn any attempt against Israel as a state.” ‘
A decree issued by the Interior Ministry states that “the existence of the Israeli state is the reason for the existence of the German state” and that citizenship applicants must therefore acknowledge this in writing.
Why does Germany have a soft spot for Israel?
The German state government says the restrictions are being imposed to prevent public unrest and combat anti-Semitism.
Citizenship laws in Germany are made at the federal level, but it is up to the 16 states to implement them. A similar provision is being considered by the German parliament that could be implemented nationwide if approved.
According to German broadcaster DW, the condition was proposed at the state and federal level by the left-leaning Christian Democrats, but it also has the support of other parties. However, there are concerns within the three-party coalition government about how effective such measures will be in dealing with anti-Israel sentiments. They fear that such a move could create further divisions in a tense environment.
Six million Jews were killed by the Nazi regime in Germany during the Holocaust and World War II. Therefore, the German state now believes that it has a “special responsibility” towards Israel. According to the German authorities, it is necessary not only for its political purposes, but also for the existence of Germany itself.
German Prime Minister Olaf Schulz said in a speech to the parliament that “Germany is only with Israel” on the death of nearly 1,200 people in the attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7.
He used a German term that means ‘the raison d’être of the state.’
‘Climate of fear’ for some in Germany
Arab and Muslim groups in Germany have opposed this policy. They believe that the authorities do not listen to Palestinians and ignore their history.
Sarah (pseudonym), a Palestinian lawyer based in Berlin, says Israeli and Jewish organizations and institutions visit schools in the city to educate students about Jewish history. She says that her nine-year-old son was never told about the Palestinian perspective, the Nakba and the reason for the displacement of millions of Palestinians.
“My son started crying after his lecture,” Sarah added. There was nothing about his identity and the history of the country that he had heard from his family and grandparents.
Sarah says her husband warns her son not to talk about the Palestinian territories and the war in Gaza at school so as not to cause any trouble or misunderstanding.
She says that decisions made by the authorities in Berlin, such as banning the wearing of the kofiya or the Palestinian flag, create an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among families and students.
He takes on a threatening tone. Schools have full authority to file a complaint with the police. I hope the authorities will propose an educational solution instead of creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety for all.
Alla Ehsan, a Hamburg-based journalist, says he is not currently working on a report on the Gaza war and prefers local media because “German media completely support the Israeli narrative.” does.’
“I know that any report I write about Gaza will be edited by my editors in accordance with editorial policy.” I try to avoid it.’
Ala admits that the incidence of anti-Semitism among the Arabs cannot be denied. He says that unacceptable slogans were raised in some demonstrations, but in his opinion it would be wrong to say that all Arabs are anti-Jewish.
Alla believes that the current policies will “increase discord in German society.” He says that not all Arabs or Muslims can be blamed for anti-Semitic actions and sloganeering.
Complex history and legal issues
Katerina Gaylor, a Jewish studies scholar at Brown University in the US, who holds dual German-Israeli citizenship, says that the definition of anti-Semitism in Germany is “purely political and not based on scientific consensus or real historical understanding.”
She adds that parliament adopted an 11-point definition of anti-Semitism developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Administration. Among them are seven points related to the individual position regarding Israel. He has “conflated criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism.”
“Sometimes criticism of Israel can be anti-Semitism or anti-Semitism behind it,” Katrina explained. But this does not mean that both are the same. This becomes clear when we consider anti-Semitism as racial prejudice against Jews because there are many Jews and Israeli Jews who criticize the Israeli state.
Some estimates put the number of Palestinians in Germany at over 100,000. While Berlin is home to Germany’s largest Israeli community.
Katrina believes that there is a desire, especially among right-wing movements and some political parties, to blame refugees for the growing trend of anti-Semitism.
She adds that the majority of anti-Semitic incidents in Germany since 2015 have been committed by white Germans, not refugees. He added that ‘immigrants from the Middle East have a special interest in learning about the Holocaust, understanding the German concept of democracy and integrating themselves. They have a great desire to learn and understand German discourse.
According to him, we also have to admit that “there is a tendency among the German people that they consider the Orientals not as individuals but as one.”
Katrina expressed her concern about the German media “everyone thinks that the protesters are supporting terrorism, which is misleading.” Protesters include many people with individual and complex ideas.
He explains that these Palestinians face challenges in expressing their opinions, knowledge and problems because they are often seen as enemies of Israel.
It is difficult for Palestinians to appear on TV or give interviews because they are accused of anti-Semitism. This problem also exists for Palestinian intellectuals, academics and artists who are banned from events without making a political statement. When a person is Palestinian, they are accused of this.
He concluded his talk by saying that “in Germany, historically, a connection is felt between the Holocaust and the establishment of Israel.” However, the German government ignores the connection between the Holocaust and the Nakba, in which the displacement of Palestinians led to the world’s worst refugee crisis.