In the wake of the increasing anti-Semitic sentiment, the German Green Party’s Sylvia Löhrmann, the state’s anti-Semitism commissioner, has sounded the alarm. In an interview with the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, she emphasized the importance of the warning that originates from Auschwitz, particularly in the aftermath of the Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Löhrmann, a former minister of education in North Rhine-Westphalia, stated that anti-Semitism has spread far and wide today. She cautioned against being misled by those who downplay the Holocaust and aim to turn the victims into perpetrators. The commissioner emphasized that anti-Semitism affects everyone and it is crucial to comprehend its implications.
According to Löhrmann, parts of society have forgotten or never fully grasped the atrocities that occurred in Auschwitz. She also noted a shift to the right in North Rhine-Westphalia and globally, where democratic achievements are being discredited. The call for a strong leader who can solve all problems is again being heard, Löhrmann warned.