Islamists rallying in the German city of Hamburg. Photo: Screenshot

Germany’s main political parties are embroiled in a dispute over whether to include an “antisemitism test” in naturalization examinations for prospective citizens.

The debate comes amid fresh concern over rising antisemitism in Germany. Data released by the federal government last month revealed an increase of 40 percent in acts of antisemitic violence, with more than 2,600 antisemitic incidents registered overall.

While Germany has an active far right scene, many of the outrages have been perpetrated by Muslim immigrants, prompting a discussion over whether prospective citizens should be questioned on their attitudes towards Jews before being naturalized. A survey by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) in 2018 showed that 30 percent of antisemitic incidents were perpetrated by Muslims, while more recently, demonstrations in May 2021 against the conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel descended into open antisemitism in several German cities.

On Thursday, Bijan Djir-Sarai — the leader of the center-right Free Democratic Party (FDP), which occupies 92 of the 736 seats in the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament — argued that reform of the country’s naturalization laws should include questions to applicants over whether they had participated in antisemitic demonstrations or had been involved with organizations whose missions run counter to the democratic values in Germany’s postwar constitution.

“Anyone who does not accept our values cannot be naturalized,” Dijir-Sarai said, in comments reported by the Judische Allgemeine news outlet.

The FDP leader’s proposal was supported by Ahmad Mansour, an Israeli-Arab psychologist based in Berlin who has attempted to challenge antisemitic beliefs among Muslim immigrants.

“It’s a shame that we don’t even take into account the attitude towards sexual self-determination, freedom of expression and Israel’s right to exist in naturalization – this doesn’t create any incentives for integration, but on the contrary for disintegration and the development of parallel societies,” Mansour said.

However, the FDP’s proposal was roundly rejected by the center-left SPD Party and the left-wing Greens — both of whom have cooperated with the FDP in the past on initiatives to combat antisemitism, including legislation passed in 2019 targeting the campaign to subject Israel to “boycotts, divestment and sanctions” (BDS).

Marlene Schönberger, the Green Party’s spokesperson for countering antisemitism, told the Welt news outlet that the proposed reform was unnecessary, arguing that it would focus attention on antisemitism among immigrants at the expense of the wider society.

“At least a quarter of all people living in Germany have openly or latently antisemitic attitudes,” she said. “In any case, a commitment to the Basic Law and to the free democratic basic order is a prerequisite for naturalization.”

Her equivalent in the SPD, Hakan Demir, agreed, saying that “a separate test is not required. Anyone who has already been sentenced for anti-Semitic or racist offenses can no longer be naturalized.” He also pointed to the German Interior Ministry’s commitment to include insights about antisemitism, Judaism and Israel’s right to exist in immigrant integration courses.

Germany’s Jewish community refrained from taking a side in the debate.

“The idea is real food for thought,” Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of German Jews, told Welt. “We now have to examine how this can be implemented.