In view of the approaching anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution warns against an escalation of the protests. Berlin is preparing for unrest.
Berlin – It was the worst massacre of civilians in Israel’s history: October 7th marks the first anniversary of the attack by the radical Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) warns of an increase in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic protests in view of the upcoming anniversary.
Anniversary of October 7th: Police expect a major operation this weekend
The police union (GdP) is expecting large-scale operations next weekend due to escalating protests. “We look forward to the coming days with great concern. “We have already seen in the past few days that the pro-Palestinian scene’s propensity for violence on our streets is once again increasingly being expressed in hatred, anti-Semitism and excessive violence,” said Berlin’s GdP spokesman, Benjamin Jendro German Press Agency (dpa) reported. The focus of operations is expected to be in Berlin. GdP federal chairman Jochen Kopelke said we want to take robust and consistent action against violent criminals and rioters Editorial Network Germany (RND).
In the last few days we have noticed a tightening, explained Jendro and practiced in the conversation ProSieben also criticism: “It cannot be the case that everyone can take to the streets to chant pro-Palestine and in the end it will become anti-Semitism.” The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution also warns of riots. “The anniversary could be a trigger event for large parts of the protest spectrum,” said BfV President Thomas Haldenwang. “The current situation holds great potential for emotionalization, polarization and radicalization, even for previously moderate actors.” Several demonstrations have already been registered in Berlin on the weekend before the anniversary, and more are to follow on Monday. Around 2,000 police officers will be deployed in the capital alone.
Hatred of Germany and Jews: Not all protests are based on solidarity with Palestine
The latest developments between Israel, Lebanon and Iran are fueling the already charged political mood. Since October 7, 2023, the Israel-Hamas war has claimed over 40,000 lives on the Palestinian side, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). communicates (As of October 4, 2024). Around 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 250 hostages were taken Hamas-Attack from Israel Gaza kidnapped. Meanwhile, according to the United Nations, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly precarious; around two million people are on the run in this small section of the country. The Gaza Strip is only slightly larger than the area of the city of Munich.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, there has been a significant increase in anti-Semitic crimes in Germany since the Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent military counterattacks. Between the beginning of 2024 and the beginning of October, over 3,200 acts were recorded. In the same period last year there were 1,600 anti-Semitic acts. From the perspective of experts, some protests often have nothing to do with legitimate pro-Palestinian expressions of opinion. The president of the German-Palestinian Society (DPG), Nazih Musharbash, also distanced himself from parts of the pro-Palestinian rallies.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) described the “global rise in anti-Semitism” as shameful and emphasized: “Berlin will never again stand by when Jews are threatened or treated with hostility.” The hatred of Jews is partly mixed with hatred of Germany. “Most of those who react like this actually live in the so-called Islamic parallel society […] not respecting our values. That means the willingness to take action against our country is there and only needs a reason,” says Islamic scholar Ralph Ghadbar to the station ProSieben. The reasons for the conflict in the Middle East go back far into the past.
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