Anti-Semitism - Alliance reports highest level of anti-Semitic crimes
After the attack by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas on Israel, the number of antisemitic crimes in Saxony has significantly increased. In 2023, 274 such crimes were recorded by the police, according to the Alliance Against Antisemitism in Dresden and Eastern Saxony. This represents an increase of 57% compared to the previous year.
The previous record was 189 (in 2021). The analysis is based on antisemitic crimes recorded by the Criminal Police Information Service of the State Criminal Police Office (LKA), which has been regularly requested by State Parliamentarian Kerstin Köditz (Left) since 2004.
More than half of the crimes (150) occurred after the terrorist attack on October 7. A shift in the political background of the crimes can be observed: Before the attack, the police attributed 97% of the crimes to the phenomenon category "rights." After the attack, this category accounted for only 56%. The remaining 44% was distributed among the phenomenon categories "foreign ideology" (26%), "religious ideology" (12%), "left" (2%), and Other (4%).
The most common offense recorded was incitement to hatred (142 cases). This includes hate postings on the internet, as well as verbal and written expressions at gatherings. In second place, with 52 incidents, was the use of symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. In third place, there were 22 cases of property damage.
The police also recorded three cases of bodily harm, two of which occurred in October.
It is striking that a high number of crimes were recorded in Dresden. With 80 incidents, the state capital is significantly ahead of Leipzig (49 incidents) and Chemnitz (25 incidents).
The terrorist attack by Hamas, a terrorist organization, against Israel at the highest level of criminal offense, has led to a significant increase in antisemitic crimes in Germany, specifically in Saxony. This escalation is evident in the 274 recorded cases in 2023, a 57% jump from the previous year's 189 cases.
The trend was further observed with more than half of these crimes (150) being reported post-terrorist attack on October 7. The distribution of crime categories shows a shift, with the "rights" category decreasing from 97% to 56% after the attack.
The police in Saxony have categorized the remainder of the crimes under "foreign ideology" (26%), "religious ideology" (12%), "left" (2%), and "Other" (4%). The most common offense recorded was incitement to hatred, with 142 cases, followed by the use of symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations like Harakat el-Mukawame el-Islamije (26%), and property damage (22 cases).
Three cases of bodily harm were reported, with two incidents occurring in October. Interestingly, a high number of these crimes were recorded in Dresden, surpassing Leipzig and Chemnitz with 80 incidents, 49 incidents, and 25 incidents respectively.
This demonstrates the need for heightened vigilance and stronger measures against extremism and terrorism in the region, as well as the importance of reporting such crimes to the LKA, the Criminal Police Information Service of the State Criminal Police Office, for proper investigation and tracking.
