Will the coronavirus crisis in Germany be accompanied by a rise in anti-Semitism? This is the fear shared by the government on Tuesday, while "conspiracy theories" are blooming on social networks.
"There are direct links between the current spread of the coronavirus and that of anti-Semitism," said Felix Klein, German government commissioner responsible for anti-Semitism. "Conspiracy theories work in times of crisis," he said at a press conference. Calling anti-Semitism itself “contagious virus (…)”, he cited as an example the statements circulating on the internet according to which the current pandemic is the result of the failed test of a biological weapon carried out by the Israeli secret services. .
Increasing assaults
"In recent weeks, right-wing extremists have tried to use the coronavirus crisis to their advantage," he said. Crimes against Jews have increased sharply in recent years in Germany. In 2018, they jumped by almost 20% to 1,799 cases, including 69 violent attacks, according to the latest government data.
Félix Klein spoke on the occasion of the presentation of a research project involving several German universities and endowed with funding of twelve million euros between 2021 and 2025.
Society
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- World
- Coronavirus
- Antisemitism
- Covid 19
- Germany