On the initiative and under the chairmanship of the State Secretary for the Interior, Torsten Akmann, the first meeting of the Round Table against antisemitic violence took place. “We will never accept violence against Jews, antisemitism in any form, or hostility towards Israel. With this Round Table we are sending a strong signal of sincerity. The Round Table is intended to clarify concrete security questions and to offer assistance to those affected. It is to be a platform enabling an open and direct exchange on current incidents of antisemitic violence and the security questions associated with them. There must be no place in Berlin where people cannot speak Hebrew with one another, or where Jews ask themselves whether they can wear a kippah. Of course they can – and they should do so. We must work hard to ensure that Jews in Berlin no longer even ask themselves this question”, said Torsten Akmann, explaining the reasons for founding the Round Table. Mr Akmann is State Secretary in the office of Berlin’s Senator for the Interior.
The Chairman of WerteInitiative, Dr Elio Adler, commented: “We very much welcome this initiative, because it concerns the very concrete areas in which Jewish life in the capital is endangered: how the police assess threats and what security advice can be provided. There are incidents around demonstrations to be discussed, and the question of how Jewish institutions and, where necessary, individuals are to be protected. Finally, thought must also be given to crisis management in the event of major antisemitic offences. It is precisely the way this discussion is being carried into Jewish civil society that is received positively by the Jewish community in Berlin.”
The State Secretary continued: the aim is to send a strong signal that Jews are not left alone with their experiences of antisemitism and that they are taken seriously, the State Secretary for the Interior added. The Round Table will meet every three months, but will also convene as particular occasions require. This body, unique in Germany, brings together at a high level the Jewish congregations, the Zentralrat der Juden, representatives of civil society who are active against antisemitism, and security experts from within and outside the authorities. The police and the Verfassungsschutz (the domestic intelligence service) also take part in the Round Table.
