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Politico: The situation in Germany has become a hotbed for tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. Pro-Palestinian protests in Berlin’s Neukölln neighborhood have escalated into violent confrontations. Public demonstrations chanting slogans like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” considered by Berlin prosecutors as a call for the erasure of Israel, have been met with forceful police action. Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized Germany’s duty to stand for the existence and security of Israel, but not everyone in Germany agrees. Tensions escalated when people celebrated after a Hamas attack on Israeli civilians.
Amid the upsurge in antisemitic incidents, German police have increased security at Jewish cultural centers and houses of worship. Meanwhile, debates have unfolded about whether the ban on pro-Palestinian protests is an overreach of the state. Authorities maintain that the risk of antisemitic rhetoric and violence in such gatherings is too high, based on past experiences.
The Jewish community in Germany has been living in fear, with attacks like Molotov cocktails being thrown at a Jewish community hub. Antisemitic incidents have also been connected to spikes in Middle East violence.
The situation has complicated dimensions. On one hand, there is a rise in what politicians often refer to as “imported antisemitism” from Muslim-majority nations. On the other, far-right groups have also perpetrated antisemitic violence, as seen in the 2019 attack on a synagogue in Halle. One recent poll showed that 78 percent of supporters of the far-right Alternative for Germany disagreed with the idea that the country has a “special obligation towards Israel.” Extreme-right politicians have also called on Germany to get over its “cult of guilt.”
The ongoing tensions have resulted in hundreds of arrests and injuries, including to police officers, turning parts of Berlin into zones of conflict and challenging Germany’s post-Holocaust identity.
The entire article can be read at the link https://www.politico.eu/article/israel-hamas-war-germany-germany-berlin/
