Berlin, May 26 (IANS): The German government's anti-Semitism commissioner has urged Jews to avoid wearing "kippa", the traditional Jewish skullcaps in public, the media reported on Sunday.

Felix Klein warned Jews against donning the kippa in parts of the country, following a rise in anti-Semitism, the BBC reported.

Klein said his opinion on the matter had "changed compared with what it used to be".

"I cannot recommend to Jews that they wear the skullcap at all times everywhere in Germany," he told the Funke newspaper on Saturday.

A sharp increase was recorded last year by the German government last year in the number of anti-Semitic offences.

Official figures showed 1,646 hate crimes against Jews were committed in 2018 - an increase of 10 per cent on the previous year.

Physical attacks against Jews in Germany also rose in the same period, with 62 violent incidents recorded, up from 37 in 2017.

Klein suggested "the lifting of inhibitions and the uncouthness" of society could be behind the spike in anti-Semitic crimes sweeping country.

The Internet, social media and "constant attacks against our culture of remembrance" may be contributing factors, he added.