Germany's Christian-Democratic party presents new plan to combat antisemitism

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party of Germany presented a 12-point initiative on Friday aimed at combating antisemitism in the State of Hamburg.

The initiative, formulated in cooperation with former Hamburg Antisemitism Commissioner Stefan Hensel, calls for increased staffing and funding for the commissioner’s office, as well as stronger measures in schools and universities. It comes as antisemitic incidents in Germany have remained at elevated levels since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on southern Israel, with Jewish communities and institutions facing ongoing security concerns.

Hensel, who left his position in late 2025, had previously argued that Hamburg’s state government was not doing enough to combat antisemitism.

In June, historian Anna von Villiez was appointed Hamburg’s new Commissioner for Jewish Life and the Prevention and Combating of Antisemitism. She began serving in the position on July 1.

Under the CDU initiative, the commissioner’s office would receive greater access to case files and other relevant information concerning individuals suspected of antisemitic activity. The plan also calls for a stronger focus on combating antisemitism in schools and universities, including making education about antisemitism a mandatory component of teacher training.

The initiative further proposes that all Hamburg students have opportunities to learn about Jewish life firsthand, including through visits to synagogues and other Jewish institutions.

The 12-point plan also identifies Israel-related antisemitism as a significant component of contemporary antisemitism and calls for expanding Hamburg’s existing youth exchange program with Israel, allowing more young Germans to experience the country firsthand.

The situation extends beyond Hamburg, with Jewish communities across Germany continuing to report high levels of antisemitic incidents.

On Thursday, German police arrested an Afghan man suspected of attempting to set fire to Bergische Synagogue in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, ahead of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, condemned the incident and said the timing of the incident was concerning.

“What deeply concerns me is the composure with which the perpetrator carried out this attack in broad daylight in Wuppertal. There was no apparent sense that he was doing something wrong, nor any sign of shame,” Schuster said in an interview with the German newspaper Jüdische Allgemeine. “This act shows just how far the normalization of antisemitism has progressed,” he warned.

Nearly half (46%) of Germany’s Jewish communities reported antisemitic incidents, according to a poll released in early May. Community leaders described the situation as a “new norm” of elevated antisemitism.

In 2025, the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS) documented 8,725 antisemitic incidents, an average of nearly 24 per day. The organization said the number remained at a high level compared with 2024 and was more than three times the 2022 figure. RIAS documented 178 physical attacks, 257 threats and four cases of extreme violence.

RIAS also reported that 68% of the incidents documented in 2025 were classified as Israel-related antisemitism.

Antisemitism in Germany has been documented across multiple ideological and political milieus. The RIAS report found that Israel-related antisemitism was the most common form recorded in 2025, while antisemitic incidents also occurred in connection with right-wing, left-wing and Islamist groups.

The CDU initiative comes amid broader political shifts in Germany. Earlier this month, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won about 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, marking the party’s first victory in a German state election.