Faced with a rise in anti-Semitic acts, Berlin is revamping its rules for access to naturalization. Since Thursday and the entry into force of the reform on obtaining nationality, candidates for citizenship are now confronted during their access exam with questions integrating “the themes of anti-Semitism, the law of “State of Israel to exist and Jewish life in Germany”, as indicated in a text from the German Interior Ministry relayed by CNN.
The new law also includes questions “about Germany’s special historical responsibility for the unjust regime of National Socialism and its consequences, especially for the protection of Jewish life.” The test, which is designed to identify anti-Semitic candidates, includes questions such as: What is the name of the Jewish place of worship? When was the State of Israel founded? In what way does Germany have a special responsibility toward Israel?
To access the precious German passport, candidates will have to recognize Germany’s responsibility for the Shoah and the murder of six million Jews, which implies recognition of Israel’s right to exist. The Ministry of the Interior thus advocates “the rejection of any form of anti-Semitism, the refusal of any forgetting, concealment or minimization of the Nazi genocide of the Jews of Europe, the recognition of the special and close relationship of the Republic Federal Republic of Germany with the State of Israel, in particular that Israel’s security and right to exist are part of the German reason of state. »
Easing of access to nationality
Having been convicted of an anti-Semitic or racist act thus immediately blocks access to the precious red passport bearing a federal eagle, one of the most powerful identity documents in the world. For certain offences, naturalisation service agents must now inquire with the Attorney General to find out whether any anti-Semitic motive has been detected.
As in France, anti-Semitism is making a comeback in Germany, fueled by hostility to the Israeli offensive in Gaza in reaction to the attack by the Islamist group Hamas against Israel on October 7. Anti-Semitic acts increased by 80% in 2023, according to a report published Tuesday by the Federal Association of Research and Information Centers on Anti-Semitism.
Generally, the reform of access to nationality in Germany – strongly criticized by the opposition parties – will above all relax the conditions for obtaining citizenship. One of the key measures therefore plans to allow candidates to no longer renounce their previous nationality by obtaining dual nationality. The delivery times are also reduced from 8 to 5 years, and can even be accelerated further in the event of proof of particularly successful integration.
