Jewish leader: 'Germany is a different country as of today'

DPA

One of the most prominent representatives of the Jewish community in Germany, Charlotte Knobloch, has expressed her shock regarding the performance of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Sunday's election.

"This is a signal. Germany is a different country as of today," said Knobloch, who is the president of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria.

"The responsibility for the democratic parties has never been greater. Everything is at stake now: our democracy," Knobloch said.

She also asserted that since the attack by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement on Israel, anti-Semitism has exploded. Fear has once again become a part of everyday life for Jewish people, the Holocaust survivor said. "This must stop at last."