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.
German media outlet Deutsche Welle (DW), in its report, stated that 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.
DW reported that the ministry, according to Zieschang, sent the “decree to all Saxony-Anhalt municipalities informing them of the policy in late November”.
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.—APP
