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In Berlin, anti-Semitic incidents have risen to a “historic high” since October 7th. Never before have so many incidents been reported as in October 2023.
Berlin – In Berlin, the number of anti-Semitic incidents against Jewish or Israeli individuals increased by 170 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year. This is shown by a report published on Wednesday (May 22nd) by RIAS Berlin, the anti-Semitism research and information center.
Anti-Semitic incidents and violence at their highest since October 7th
Especially strong The number of attacks and crimes with an anti-Semitic and anti-Israel background has increased since October 7thas terrorists Hamas Israel attacked, leading to the current war in Gaza led.
“October 7, 2023 marked a turning point: anti-Semitism has been much more present in Berlin since then; existing forms of anti-Semitism have become more persistent and more severe,” said RIAS at the presentation of the report in the New Synagogue in Berlin. The organization documented a total of 1,270 anti-Semitic incidents in Berlin in 2023. The RIAS federal association and its regional associations record anti-Semitic incidents.
The attacks on Jews in the capital as a result of October 7th, which became known far beyond Berlin, illustrate the problem. “October is the month with the most incidents documented by the project since its inception in 2015, with 323 incidents,” says the RIAS annual report. For comparison: In the months before October there were an average of 53 incidents. Both criminally relevant and non-relevant anti-Semitic acts and statements are counted.
Attacks on Jewish life in Berlin: burning Molotov cocktails and markings on houses
According to Berlin RIAS project manager Julia Kopp, the many attacks and incidents have led to Jewish life in Berlin being “even less visible and open than it was before.” This applies to things like speaking Hebrew in public or wearing recognizably Jewish clothing.
In addition, incidents against Jews have not only increased in quantity, but have also become more violent. RIAS cites October 18, 2023, as an example, when burning Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Jewish community center in Berlin-Mitte. Anti-Semitic insults and graffiti as well as markings on house walls also increased. Project manager Kopp spoke of a “historic high”. The research and information center also points out that the use of anti-Semitic language has also become more disinhibited in the digital space, for example on social media.
For the first time, anti-Israel activism is leading to more incidents than right-wing attacks
It is noteworthy that, according to RIAS, Israel-related anti-Semitism occurred in 62 percent of the cases recorded – i.e. anti-Semitic statements that were directed against the Jewish state of Israel, for example when it was denied its right to exist.
The extreme form of this Israel-related anti-Semitism is anti-Israel activism, which has an inherent hostile motivation towards Israel. In 2023, for the first time since data was collected in 2015, this was “the political and ideological spectrum to which the most assignable incidents (15.5 percent) could be assigned”. The documentation center assigned 6.3 percent of the cases to the right-wing populist and right-wing extremist spectrum – for the first time since the data was collected, no longer the most incidents.
In view of these developments against Jewish life in Germany, project manager Kopp calls on all democrats to take responsibility. “It is also their responsibility to consistently name anti-Semitism and to show solidarity with those affected by anti-Semitism,” stresses Kopp. “Jews and those affected by anti-Semitism must not be left to deal with this alone. Otherwise there is a serious risk that insecurity and feelings of isolation will become entrenched.”
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