NEW YORK - The World Jewish Congress has expressed deep concern over the growing membership of the Reichsbürgerbewegung ("Reich Citizens' Movement") in Germany, after it was revealed by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) that some about 16,500 people belonged to the organization last year from about 10,000 in 2016.
“It is extraordinarily disconcerting to note that across Germany today there is a sharp rise in the number of people who disavow themselves from the law of the land – and even more disturbing that there are those among them who encourage an ideology of xenophobia and anti-Semitism,” said WJC CEO Robert Singer. “It is essential for German authorities and civil society to remain attentive amid this concerning development, and ensure that vigilantes do not take the law into their own hands."
The label of Reichsbürger is a term used for a broad range of groups and individuals who do not recognise the legitimacy of the Federal Republic of Germany and its boundaries. A number of members are known to hold deeply anti-Semitic views.
President of the Council of German Jews and WJC Vice-President Dr Josef Schuster said that the figures should “not just worry the Jewish community but the entire country”. Schuster called on politicians to take stronger measures against right-wing extremism and called for more accurate recording of the relations between the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and other right-wing extremists.
