There seems to be an idea gaining ground that racism and xenophobia have become a German nationwide problem, and that endless mistakes have been made by politicians dealing with social policy towards asylum seekers.

This is nonsense. The problem isn’t Germany’s social policy, it’s right-wing extremists, who can’t be reasoned with because they’re not rational. The municipality around Tröglitz, a community of 185,000 where neo-nazi thugs a while ago caused problems, contains just 47 foreigners, while what the local authority spends on housing refugees is a fraction of the €273m spent on social welfare for existing residents. So much for the “foreign infiltration” the extremists bemoan, and its “intolerable” burden on social security. The vast majority of Germans aren’t “filled with hate” against refugees. We don’t need expensive social and educational programs: we just need to deal firmly with the hooligans”. (The Week)

Regrettably, similar isolated incidents aimed at the Jewish community are being used to alarm liberal Jews in America. I had a long and pleasant conversation with a Jewish lady, who seemed convinced that European Jews would soon have to leave Europe and go to Israel. This is just the result AIPAC and some extreme Zionists want and exploit. There are thugs everywhere, but they have to be sat on – hard. I can only speak from what I know, but anti-semitism these days is insignificant (anti-moslemism is a different matter). Who knew that leader of the UK Labour Party, who has just resigned, was Jewish? I didn’t, nor do I care or think it relevant to his job. Most people would agree. There is a problem with people who refuse to integrate, and somehow we need to change their minds. But they are not Jewish and we should not tolerate thuggery against them or anyone else.