Who fails?
Today we start with a little quiz. Question 1: How many years ago was there a Jewish community for the first time in what is now Germany? a) about 300 years ago, b) about 700 years ago, c) about 1150 years ago, d) about 1700 years ago? The correct answer is d), about 1700 years ago.
Question 2: Who is allowed to become a member of the approximately 40 Jewish Maccabi sports clubs? a) only Germans, b) only Israelis, c) only religious people or d) all people? D is also correct here): Anyone can become a member.
Did you know?
However, this is not a quiz, but a pretty serious matter. The Federal Ministry of the Interior wants to include these and other questions on the subject of “Jewish life in Germany” as examination questions in the naturalization test. It is also a reaction to the anti-Semitic riots in Berlin after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th. Part of the naturalization test is supposed to become an anti-anti-Semitic test.
The intention behind it is good, it is correct, but the question remains whether one can test an attitude, especially a deep-seated one, using a multiple-choice question. "Anyone who really wants to become a German and has completed the course should know pretty exactly which answer to tick - regardless of how they really think," writes my colleague Rasmus Buchsteiner, who obtained the new questions exclusively from the Ministry of the Interior. "It's an honorable attempt by SPD Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, but I can hardly imagine that these questions will filter out anti-Semites among the naturalization candidates."
However, it never hurts to take a closer look at the topic of Israel and Jewish life in Germany. If you are curious about how much you know, Rasmus' text is worth reading. And of course other things too.
The whole story here: Holocaust, Israel, Judaism - these new questions are included in the naturalization test
Everyone is so nice here
The Chancellor is taking a day trip today. He is traveling to Slovenia, leaving early in the afternoon and wanting to be back late in the evening. The trip was originally planned for January, then Wolfgang Schäuble died and Olaf Scholz took part in the state ceremony. Now he's catching up on the short trip.
Why Slovenia? Because he wasn't there yet as chancellor. “A friendly routine visit,” the government says. So far, so unexciting.
Yesterday evening before departure was largely unexciting for Scholz - and in a way that was exciting again. Because it was surprising. And a bit puzzling.
In Brandenburg an der Havel, Scholz answered questions from citizens at the “Chancellor Talks”. Based on the polls and media comments of the last few weeks and months, there, in the Steel Palace, a horde of angry questioners should have attacked the Chancellor, driven him into a corner and taken him to task.
It ended up being a pretty friendly hour and a half.
Well, there was also criticism in the questions; in the end, one angry citizen even had to leave the room because he wanted to communicate his anger to the rest of the room in rather unpleasant words. But overall it was very polite, very civilized about asylum, direct democracy, the war in the Middle East, the lack of housing in big cities, citizens' money. One participant began her question like this: "Mr. Scholz, it's great that you're here in our beautiful city of Brandenburg."
By the way, there was not a single question about Taurus. Only one citizen told the Chancellor that he thought it was right not to give the precision weapon to Ukraine. To then ask his actual question. On the subject of network fees.
What do you take away from this meeting with the Chancellor? An idea of where Scholz gets his irritating confidence that he can win the next election despite all the lousy polls.
More background here: Smiling Chancellor Scholz
A signal from New York
Annalena Baerbock has an important appointment today; she is meeting her counterpart Israel Katz in Jerusalem. The meeting between the two was already politically charged because Baerbock had called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza war before they left for the Middle East.
Yesterday, for the first time, the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire. The USA, as the veto power, abstained and thus made the resolution possible after many unsuccessful attempts. It is binding under international law. And should be a topic in the conversation between Baerbock and Katz.
Does the Foreign Minister believe that the resolution will now be implemented? "There's little to be said for that, and that's what you see in Baerbock's delegation," writes my colleague Marina Kormbaki, who is traveling with the minister. »Crisis diplomacy is stalling. There is little progress - neither in releasing more hostages held by Hamas, nor in providing humanitarian aid to the starving Palestinians. And Israel is still sticking to its plans for an offensive in Rafah.”
Yesterday evening, Baerbock warned both sides, Israel and Hamas, to implement the UN decision. Now there can be “no more excuses,” she said. »The people of Gaza urgently need every liter of water. And the families in Israel urgently need their beloved family members back.”
Will she change her colleague Katz's mind? “Hardly,” is Marina’s prognosis. Baerbock should still try. That's her job.
More background here: At the limit of suffering
Read the current SPIEGEL editorial here
The dangerous pessimism of the Germans:
German citizens are increasingly concerned about the future. Politics must provide an alternative to the mood of doom, otherwise democracy will be in danger.
Click here for the current daily quiz
Today's starting question: Which counting procedure has been used since 2009 to determine the distribution of seats after a federal election?
Winner of the day…
... are all train passengers. After more than four months of wage disputes, the train drivers' union GDL and Deutsche Bahn reached an agreement yesterday evening and there will be no further strikes. Both sides want to provide details in separate press conferences today. Most travelers probably don't care about the details. The main thing is that it's over. Hooray.
More on the topic: Train drivers and railways reach an agreement in the tariff dispute
The latest reports from the night
Israel rejects UN expert's report as a "disgrace":
On Tuesday, human rights expert Francesca Albanese is due to present an analysis of Gaza to the UN - and it's apparently quite something. The angry reaction from Israel to a preliminary version speaks for this.
Searches at the villas of rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs:
There are several lawsuits alleging sexual assault against Sean “Diddy” Combs. There have now been house searches in at least two US cities - the investigators arrived heavily armed.
Faeser announces border controls for the European Football Championship:
Controls will be carried out at all nine German external borders during the European Football Championship. According to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, the focus is on hooligans and Islamists.
I would particularly like to recommend this story to you today:
The woman behind Habeck:
Franziska Brantner has an important job. It is intended to procure raw materials that German companies urgently need. For this purpose, the Parliamentary State Secretary is traveling around the world on behalf of Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck. It's about securing economic growth at home - and also the career of your boss. My colleague Gerald Traufetter accompanied her.
I wish you a good start to the day.
Yours Christoph Hickmann, head of the SPIEGEL capital office