The current situation in Israel has sparked widespread condemnation in the international community, leading to a significant backlash against Israelis.
Continuing on this path, their prospects may not be optimistic.
In this scenario, thousands of Israelis have found an alternative way out.
According to German media RND citing data from the Federal Administrative Office, the number of Israelis applying for German citizenship has significantly increased since the outbreak of the latest round of conflict between Israel and Palestine on October 7 last year.
In 2022, Israelis submitted 5670 applications;
In 2023, this number increased to 9129;
And this year, in just the first four months, there were 6869 applications, with the number expected to far exceed last year.
This phenomenon is incredible; descendants of survivors who endured Nazi persecution are now choosing to return to Germany instead of heading to the "promised land" of the Jews—the United States.
Why is Germany, once Israel's archenemy, so attractive to Israelis?
In fact, the German constitution has a special provision stipulating that citizens who were persecuted by the Nazis for reasons of race, religion, or politics and were forced to leave Germany, as well as citizens who were deprived of their citizenship, have the right to reapply for German citizenship for life.
This provision also applies to their descendants and relatives.
Therefore, many Jewish citizens of Israel can apply for German citizenship at any time.
Of course, anti-Semitic sentiment has always existed in Germany, and applications may be rejected.
But in 2021, the German Federal Parliament passed a "compensation citizenship" law, eliminating this obstacle.
According to the new law, descendants of Nazi victims have the right to legally obtain German passports and can unconditionally acquire German citizenship.
Since the beginning of this year, about 9371 people have applied for German citizenship in this way, mainly from Israel and the United States.
It is worth noting that Israel allows dual citizenship, and a law passed by the German Federal Parliament in January of this year also allows dual citizenship, which will take effect on June 26 this year.
Therefore, Israelis applying for German citizenship do not have to renounce their Israeli citizenship.
In addition, in December last year, the state of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany stipulated that applicants for German citizenship must acknowledge the existence of Israel, condemn any anti-Israeli behavior, and must not engage in or harbor any anti-Semitic activities or sentiments, otherwise, their citizenship applications will be rejected.
In March of this year, the German government announced that questions about Jewish history would be added to the citizenship exam, such as "the founding time of Israel" and "penalties for denying the Holocaust in Germany."
Only by answering these questions correctly can one apply for German citizenship.
The German Minister of the Interior stated that this is a special responsibility that Germany must bear, and applicants must acknowledge this.
With so many incentives provided by Germany, it's no wonder that a large number of Israelis hope to become German citizens.
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