Charlotte Knobloch, the former president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, has joined leading German politicians and the current council head in distancing herself from controversial remarks by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
"These sentences do not stand for Israel's values and they should not go unchallenged," Knobloch, the long-time chairwoman of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, said on Thursday.
The Israeli far-right politician had called for targeted killings of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying such killings "should be carried out in Gaza, removing 30, 40 [people] every night." He said he was not referring only to militant Palestinians who posed an immediate danger.
The remarks triggered international shock and protests. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil and the current head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, have all condemned the comments.
Knobloch stressed that Israel and its people have been living in a state of emergency since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023.
"This rupture also affects us in the diaspora, not least because hatred of the Jewish state quickly turns into hatred of anything Jewish." Israel has been fighting such rejection since its founding, she said, while its people simply want to live in peace. "Sentences like those by Mr Ben-Gvir come from a different spirit and push peace further away."
Schuster had previously also distanced himself from the remarks, describing the minister's words as "deeply shameful and irresponsible."