Targeted attacks feared
Increasing anti-Semitism in Haldenwang is reminiscent of the Nazi era
October 27, 2023, 3:52 p.m
After Hamas’ attack on Israel, anti-Semitic incidents are increasing in Germany. The President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution fears that targeted violence will also be used in the future. He compares the current situation to the “worst times in German history.”
The President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang, described the massive increase in anti-Semitism as a “breaking point”. The hatred of Jews on German streets is reminiscent of “the worst times in German history,” Haldenwang told “Spiegel.” Since Hamas’ attack on Israel, there have already been around 1,800 crimes in this context in Germany.
“I fear that this new wave of anti-Semitism will keep us busy for a long time,” said the head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. There are already “alarm signals that the situation could worsen further”. Some Jewish homes were “literally marked” with a Star of David. “We have to expect that targeted violence could be perpetrated against Jews,” said Haldenwang.
Further radicalization possible
If the war in Israel and the Gaza Strip continues to escalate and there are “upsetting images,” this could lead to “further radicalization here in Germany,” he said. The task of the police and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is to “intensely investigate whether Islamists or other extremists are hatching possible plans to commit a crime.”
The social networks are being monitored; so-called virtual agents are also on the move undercover there. “If there are calls for violence or even discussions about attack plans, we want to be aware of it,” said Haldenwang.