Merkel condemns recent anti-Semitic incidents in Germany
'One must be ashamed when such open hatred of Jews is on display on the streets of German cities,' says German government spokesman; anti-Semitic incidents reported at protest rallies in Berlin and other cities after Trump's decision recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday said her conservative party unanimously condemned anti-Semitic acts such as burning of Israeli flags and said the government should use all instruments at its disposal to combat such incidents.
"We condemn all kinds of anti-Semitism and xenophobia, and no disagreements, not even over the status of Jerusalem, justify such actions," Merkel told journalists after a meeting of the leadership of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Police reported the burning of Israeli flags and use of anti-Semitic slogans at protest rallies in Berlin and other cities over the weekend over US President Donald Trump's decision last week to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
Trump's declision reversed decades of US policy and caused consternation across the Arab world and among Western allies. It has ignited "Day of Rage" street protests in the Palestinian territories and beyond.
On Friday hundreds of people had gathered outside the US embassy in Berlin for "Day of Rage" protests. Police said they had detained 10 people during that protest and brought criminal charges against 12 people, including for burning Israeli flags.
Additional "isolated" incidents have been reported in Munich and other German cities.
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert repeated Berlin's criticism of Trump's decision but said that did not justify anti-Semitic acts, adding that Germany had a historic responsibility to stand by Israel and all Jews everywhere.
Anti-Semitism remains a very sensitive issue in Germany more than 70 years after the end of the Nazi-era Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed. Germany regards itself as one of Israel's closest allies.
"One must be ashamed when such open hatred of Jews is on display on the streets of German cities," Seibert told a regular government news conference.
"Our laws on freedom of expression and assembly guarantee everyone a right to peaceful protest, but this right is no free pass for anti-Semitic atrocities, for incitement and violence," he said, calling for continual efforts to combat such incidents.
A Justice Ministry spokesman said authorities would prosecute those responsible for the flag-burning incidents.
Seibert also criticized comments made by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who referred to Israel over the weekend as a "terror state."
"Basically, we see it as completely wrong, unacceptable and inappropriate to describe Israel in such a manner," Seibert said.
Other top German officials, including the foreign, justice and interior ministers, have condemned anti-Semitic acts and the burning of Israeli flags in interviews and on Twitter.
A German foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday the country's ambassador to Kuwait had met Kuwaiti officials on November 28 to discuss a separate issue that has raised concerns among Jewish groups about anti-Semitism.
