(DPA) Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said migration is a significant factor behind the rise of anti-Semitism in Germany, calling it a “terrible challenge” for the country.
“We have a sort of imported anti-Semitism with the big numbers of migrants we have within the last 10 years,” Merz said late on Thursday in an interview with US broadcaster Fox News.
The phrase “imported anti-Semitism” has stirred controversy in Germany. It suggests that anti-Semitism is mainly a result of immigration, a view often echoed in right-wing circles.
Critics say the term unfairly targets Muslims and migrants, while downplaying anti-Semitism within broader German society.
