Germany’s Chancellor Merz warns immigrants who reject country's Holocaust responsibility must leave

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday that Muslim immigrants who reject Germany’s responsibility for the Holocaust should leave the country, emphasizing that the nation’s historical responsibility applies to everyone living there.

“This historical responsibility of our country applies just as much to those who come here to Germany from Islamic countries,” Merz said at a Berlin reception for German Jewish athletes who competed in this year’s Maccabiah Games, according to the German press agency DPA.

“And anyone who fails to abide by this must leave our country,” the German leader emphasized.

The remarks reportedly came after a Maccabiah coach told Merz that members of his team were concerned about wearing the Jewish Star of David in public in Germany because of rising antisemitism since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

Merz reportedly referred to a 1985 speech by former German President Richard von Weizsäcker, who stressed the importance of recognizing Germany’s historical role and responsibility for the murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust.

Von Weizsäcker argued at the time that while young Germans were not responsible for the Holocaust, they were responsible for preserving its memory.

“And that applies to German society as a whole,” Merz said.

“And I would add, given the current circumstances: that also applies to immigrants who come to Germany,” the German leader added.

Earlier this week, 94-year-old Holocaust survivor George Shefi addressed a memorial ceremony marking the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Nazi-perpetrated pogrom on Nov. 9, 1938, during which Jewish synagogues and businesses were burned and destroyed across Germany and Austria.

Shefi, who was born in Berlin and now lives in Israel, agreed that young Germans today are not responsible for the Holocaust. However, having personally witnessed Kristallnacht, he stressed that Germany remains responsible for preserving its memory.

“I have come here at this time to say that Germany’s responsibility to preserve the memory of the Holocaust is eternal,” Shefi said.

Merz’s remarks come as Germany continues to grapple with rising antisemitism. Although Germany and Israel have developed close relations, with Berlin emerging in recent years as one of Jerusalem’s strongest allies in the European Union, the country has also witnessed a surge in antisemitic incidents and large anti-Israel and anti-Jewish demonstrations since Oct. 7.

The German government strongly condemned the Hamas massacre of 1,200 Israelis and has largely backed Israel’s right to self-defense. Unlike many other Western nations, Germany has also taken action against anti-Israel activity when it crosses the line into antisemitism.

In September 2024, German authorities announced that the country would deny citizenship to immigrants who call for Israel’s destruction, including those using genocidal slogans such as “From the River to the Sea.”

Germany has also banned slogans such as "Let's go bomb Tel Aviv” and "Death to Israel."

The country has also recorded a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents. In 2024, Germany saw a 77% rise in antisemitism, according to watchdog RIAS, which monitors antisemitism in the country.

The report noted that the majority of incidents were linked to Israel and the conflict in the Middle East.

The trend continued in 2025, when RIAS recorded 2,197 antisemitic incidents in Berlin alone. Following the alarming report, a German legislator warned that the “threat to Jewish life is worse than at any time since the Holocaust.”