An east German state Saxony-Anhalt will make it mandatory for citizenship applicants to declare their support for Israel’s right to exist if they wish to become naturalised citizens.
The applicants will have to make the declaration in writing, stating “that they recognise Israel’s right to exist and condemn any efforts directed against the existence of the State of Israel.”
Tamara Zieschang, the state’s interior minister, has also urged 15 other German states to adopt similar rules in a meeting of state and federal interior ministers.
This is the same state where the 2019 Halle synagogue shooting took place during which a right-wing German extremist killed two people.
Through this rule, the state has conveyed a strong message to all applicants that they wouldn’t get citizenship if they did not support the existence of Israel.
The state’s interior ministry, in a letter to the local authorities, has asked denial of naturalisation to foreigners who go against Germany’s basic law including engaging in activities directed at its liberal democratic order. These activities also include antisemitism and the denial of Israel’s right to exist.
