German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere , right, attends a meeting at the Interior Ministry in Berlin. (AP, Marc Tirl, Pool) (AP, Marc Tirl, Pool)
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere

Germany’s Interior Ministry says it has appointed two Jews to a new commission on anti-Semitism in response to criticism that there was none among the original eight experts chosen.

The ministry said last Thursday that Marina Chernivsky, of a Berlin-based organization that fights anti-Semitism and xenophobia, and Andreas Nachama, director of the Topography of Terror museum in the capital that documents Nazi-era crimes, would both join the commission.

When created earlier this year, the commission drew widespread criticism for not including any Jews; the Interior Ministry responded that the religious affiliation of the experts hadn’t been a criterion in the selection process.

The commission will investigate anti-Semitism in Germany over the next two years and present its findings to Parliament as a basis for a discussion on how to tackle problems.

By: AP