German MPs Debate Bills To Link Citizenship With Israel Recognition
The bills, proposed by the ruling Christian Democratic Party (CDU), also aim to criminalise the denial of "Israel's right to exist" and to combat alleged antisemitism in Germany.
The debate comes amid rising tensions in the country following Israel's war on Gaza, which killed more than 11,470 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Many pro-Palestinian protests have been banned or restricted by the German authorities, who claim to prevent public disorder and antisemitism.
The bills have sparked criticism from some activists and journalists, who accuse Germany of silencing pro-Palestinian voices and imposing a loyalty test for citizenship.
"Germany has completely lost it. This is fascism," writer Farah-Silvana Kanaan posted on X.
"The state that recently ethnically cleansed an entire people based on their identity will make it law to be committed to protecting a state where the offspring of the people Germany genocided, are committing their own genocide and ethnically cleansing an entire people based on their ethnicity," journalist Ahmad Eldin added.
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The move came after Germany faced accusations from Muslim countries over silencing pro-Palestinian voices and failing to do enough to tackle Islamophobia in a United Nations review of its human rights record.
"The rise of attacks on mosques and NSU (neo-Nazi) murders does demonstrate deep systemic failures of the German police and justice system in tackling such crimes," said Turkey's envoy to the UN in Geneva.
"We recommend Germany to take serious steps against Islamophobic and xenophobic attacks and practices, including a comprehensive review of its police force and justice system, as well as additional protection for mosques," the envoy added.
Source: Agencies
