Acting Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in an interview with German national newspaper Bild am Sonntag that he supports creating the position of anti-Semitism commissioner in the next German government.

The conservative De Maiziere said his support for the commissioner went beyond the most recent incidents — in which Berlin protesters burned Israeli flags to demonstrate against US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital — and was also based on the recommendation of an independent commission of experts.

Germany's Central Council of Jews has also called repeatedly for an anti-Semitism commissioner to be part of the chancellor's office.

In the interview, de Maiziere expressed his concern over the increase in anti-Semitic agitation in Germany.

"Each crime motivated by anti-Semitism is one to many and shameful for our country," he told the paper. He also said that occurrences of derogatory comments, inappropriate jokes and discrimination towards "our fellow Jewish citizens" were on the rise.

"Hatred towards Jews must never be allowed to take hold again in Germany," he added, alluding to Germany's historic responsibility for the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed.

Flag burning condemned

His words on the subject of anti-Semitism were the latest to emerge from a German politician in the aftermath of protests in front of the US Embassy in central Berlin and in the immigrant-heavy Neukölln neighborhood.

The minister spoke out in favor of cracking down on protesters' actions that demonstrate a hatred of Israel, including through police action when possible.

"We cannot tolerate it when a country's flag is burned in public," he said. "It is the symbolic annihilation of a country's right to exist."

Read more: Opinion: Burning the Israeli flag has nothing to do with freedom of speech

Current German law makes it illegal to burn flags and symbols of a foreign state that have been officially installed. Burning homemade or non-official flags is not a crime, though incitement to violence against Jews is.

Read more: German laws on burning the Israeli flag: What you need to know

De Maiziere said that he found the burning of homemade flags comparable to burning official ones. "I consider the burning of imitation flags to also be a disruption of public security and order."

De Maiziere's fellow Christian Democratic (CDU) politician and acting Chancellor Angela Merkel also has denounced the burning of Israeli symbols.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Clashes with police A Palestinian protester hurls stones toward Israeli police during clashes near the Jewish settlement of Beit Al, close to the West Bank city of Ramallah. Palestinians called for a "day of rage" in response to US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. At least two protesters were killed on Friday during clashes with security forces.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Protests following prayers Jerusalem itself has seen some of the largest protests, as here in front of the Dome of the Rock Islamic shrine at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City. Hundreds of additional police were deployed to control the masses of protesters after Palestinian calls for protests after Friday prayers.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Protests reach Iraq And those calls for protest have received a response from Shiite Muslims in Iraq. These men have taken to the streets in the southern city of Basra. Palestinians are angry because they want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state; Trump's move, supported by Israel, could thwart that desire.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Israeli and US flags burned Indian-controlled Kashmir also saw protests, with Muslim men seen here burning Israeli and US flags during a rally in Budgam, southwest of Srinagar. Protesters marched in several places in Srinagar and other parts of the region after Friday prayers, chanting slogans such as "Down with America" and "Down with Israel."

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests 'Long live Islam' In Malaysia, more than 1,000 Muslims protested outside the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur against Trump's decision. The protesters, led by Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, marched from a nearby mosque after Friday prayers to the US Embassy, halting traffic as they chanted "Long live Islam.”

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Turkey: Protesters voice their indignation These Turkish women are venting their anger in support of the Palestinian cause. But Trump's decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem has been condemned by many governments of non-Muslim countries as well.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Trump's picture burned Protesters in Egypt burn a picture of US President Donald Trump with his face crossed during a protest in front of the Syndicate of Journalists in Cairo. The picture reads, "Journalists are telling you Trump, Jerusalem is Arab." Hundreds of protesters also gathered in Al-Azhar mosque and outside in its courtyard.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests 'Stop your blind support'! In Jakarta, Indonesia, protesters in the world's most populous Muslim nation wear Palestine headbands. More than 300 protesters shouted "Go to hell Israel!" and called on Trump to stop his "blind support" for the Jewish state.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Massive marches in Iran The streets of the Iranian capital, Tehran, have also been the scene of huge protests at the US decision. As an arch-enemy of Israel, the Iranian government is likely to view the US move as particularly offensive.

Muslims worldwide respond to Palestinian call for protests Muslims in Germany join the outrage Germany has also seen protests, with mostly Muslim demonstrators attending a rally at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate while waving Palestinian and Turkish flags. The German government has been among those to warn urgently against Trump's move. Author: Timothy Jones



Fewer migrants expected

In his Bild interview, de Maiziere also said Germany could expect that fewer than 200,000 immigrants will have arrived in the country by the end of year. The total would put it under the desired total limit that the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), had pushed for in the past months.

The issue has been a point of contention between the two Union parties as they attempted to show a unified front in forming a government after the September election. After the first round of exploratory talks shattered, an incoming government has yet to be agreed upon.

The minister also stressed that monetary incentives for rejected asylum seekers who opt to leave the country seemed to be "positive" thus far and advocated additional measures.

cmb/aw (dpa, KNA, AFP, Reuters)