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Jewish Council Slams Merkel

DW staff (ah)September 9, 2008

Germany's largest Jewish umbrella organization criticized Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday Sep. 9 for failing to condemn right-wing extremism in her home town of Templin in the Eastern German state of Brandenburg.

https://p.dw.com/p/FEAZ
A view of a main square in Templin
Angela Merkel grew up in the town of Templin in BrandenburgImage: dpa

The head of the Central Council for Jews in Germany accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of not speaking out against violent far-right crimes in the eastern German town of Templin where she grew up.

"Her silence is equivalent to tacit toleration. We must not remain silent any longer," Central Council General Secretary Stephan Kramer told regional daily Passauer Neue Presse. "Otherwise Miss Merkel will not tire of stressing that she comes from this nice region," Kramer added.

Templin, a town of some 17,000 to the north of Berlin, has witnessed several recent occurrences of violent crime linked to neo-Nazi extremism.

In July, two youths, aged 18 and 21 with links the far-right scene, were accused of beating a 55-year-old unemployed man to death.

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