Germany's Scholz vows action after Molotov cocktails thrown at synagogue

BERLIN - Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to fight anti-Semitism on German soil on Wednesday, after attackers hurled two Molotov cocktails at a Jewish synagogue.

Police in the German capital said they were probing the attack, which took place in the city’s Mitte district in the early hours of Wednesday morning. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Germany has seen a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the wake of

the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

“Two unidentified people came on foot and threw two burning bottles filled with liquid in the direction of the synagogue on Brunnenstrasse,” a commercial and residential street, police said in a statement.

“The bottles landed on the pavement and broke, extinguishing the fire.”

As the masked assailants ran away, round-the-clock security forces stationed outside noticed a “small fire” where the attackers had been standing and were able to put it out, “preventing further consequences”.

The building, which also houses a daycare centre and a school, belongs to Kahal Adass Jisroel, which calls itself as “a growing Jewish community in the heart of Berlin”.

On social media, it confirmed that “people and the building, fortunately, were unharmed”.

Without addressing the incident specifically, Mr Scholz posted a message on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, condemning anti-Jewish hatred.

“Attacks against Jewish institutions, violent riots on our streets – this is inhumane, disgusting and cannot be tolerated,” he said.

“Anti-Semitism has no place in Germany. My thanks go to the security forces, especially in this situation.”

‘Despicable act’

A police union and local media also reported clashes between demonstrators and police late on Tuesday at pro-Palestinian rallies in Berlin, which have been largely banned since

Hamas’ deadly Oct 7 attack on Israel.

The Israeli embassy in Berlin condemned the incidents, calling for German authorities to address anti-Semitic attacks with “unwavering severity”.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany, representing the country’s 200,000-strong community, said Hamas blaming Israel for

a deadly strike on a hospital in Gaza

late on Tuesday might have played a role in fomenting hate.

“We all have a responsibility to ensure that innocent tragic victims are not used for repulsive terror propaganda,” it said in a statement.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the protection of Jewish institutions in Germany had “the highest priority”, calling the attempted firebombing a “despicable act”.

Mr Scholz had last week called on his compatriots to show solidarity with the country’s Jewish population and guarantee their safety, condemning incidents at pro-Palestinian rallies.

Germany has stepped up protection at Jewish institutions across the country, citing its responsibility for Jewish life since the Holocaust.

Anti-Semitic acts have increased sharply amid the latest turmoil in the Middle East, according to the Federal Association of Research and Information Centres on Anti-Semitism (RIAS).

In the period from Oct 7 to 15, RIAS documented 202 anti-Semitic “incidents”, compared with just 59 during the same week in 2022.

On Wednesday evening, several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the foreign ministry in Berlin for an authorised demonstration under the motto “Not in my name”.

However, police said on X that the organiser of the demo had cancelled it shortly after it started because “she no longer had any influence” on it and appealed for people to leave the area.

Protesters also gathered on Wednesday evening in the city’s Neukoelln district where the mood was “heated”, according to police.

Some of them were letting off fireworks and throwing stones and bottles at officers, the police said. AFP