Merz pledges action against antisemitism on October 7 anniversary

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged on October 7, 2026, to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish life in Germany as the country marked the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks in Israel. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Bundestag President Julia Klöckner also called for action, according to Deutsche Welle. Their appeals came after German reporting offices documented more than 8,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025.

What Merz said about antisemitism in Germany

In a statement published by the German government, Merz said antisemitism was increasing in Germany and too often went unchallenged. He said his government would do everything in its power to combat it in both old and new forms. Jewish people, he said, must be able to live without fear throughout Germany, and Jewish life must be able to flourish in German society.

Merz said the government would act against antisemitic incidents and attacks, as well as confront those who question Israel’s right to exist. The statement set out a commitment; the available sources do not establish what further measures followed it or whether the remarks affected incident levels.

The chancellor also reaffirmed Germany’s support for Israel’s security and existence, linking that position to the lessons of the Shoah and German identity. He called for Israelis, Palestinians and their neighbors to live in peace and security, saying the German government considered a Palestinian state alongside Israel the best route to that goal.

How other German leaders marked the anniversary

Klöckner called for political action against antisemitism, Deutsche Welle reported. She said it should have no place on Germany’s streets or in its political debates. The leaders’ remarks focused on the safety of Jewish people in Germany during an anniversary that also drew demonstrations commemorating victims of the Hamas attacks and the Israeli war that followed.

In Berlin, police estimated that about 1,700 people gathered at Bebelplatz, according to Deutsche Welle. Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt attended. The square was the site of Nazi book burnings in 1933, giving the location particular historical weight for the commemoration.

What Germany’s incident records show

The Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism, known as RIAS, said its reporting offices documented 8,725 antisemitic incidents in Germany in 2025, nearly 24 a day. That was almost unchanged from 8,713 in 2024, an increase of 0.2%. The figures describe incidents recorded and classified by those offices, rather than every incident that may have occurred or an official crime total.

The recent totals are far above the average of about 2,500 incidents a year that RIAS documented between 2020 and 2022. Its 2025 records included four cases of extreme violence, 178 assaults, 257 threats and 413 cases of targeted property damage. Those categories show that the total covers more than one form of conduct and that some incidents involved direct harm or threats.

RIAS said 825 documented incidents directly targeted Jews or Israelis in 2025, a level it described as high since the October 2023 attacks. It classified 68% of its recorded incidents as Israel-related antisemitism, a category that can overlap with other manifestations. The classification should therefore not be read as a separate, additional count.

The association also documented 807 incidents linked to right-wing extremism, up from 562 in 2024, and described the 2025 figure as a new high. It recorded 2,314 online incidents, compared with 1,996 the year before; online cases represented 27% of all incidents it documented in 2025. RIAS said developments in the Middle East, including the October 2025 Israel-Hamas ceasefire, had little effect on the annual pattern it recorded.

The anniversary statements renewed a public commitment to protect Jewish life. The incident data provide context for that appeal, but they cover the period before the leaders’ latest remarks. Whether government action changes the number or severity of incidents remains an open question.