Attack on synagogue was intended to draw attention to Palestinian suffering
Two and a half years ago, a 47-year-old spilled petrol at a synagogue in Ulm and set it alight. The Turkish citizen told the psychiatrist that he wanted to draw attention to the plight of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel. He is now on trial.
The arson attack on the synagogue in Ulm caused a nationwide sensation two and a half years ago: Now a 47-year-old man has to answer for attempted aggravated arson and damage to property at the district court of the city in Baden-Württemberg. The public prosecutor said that the defendant spilled one and a half to two liters of petrol on the southern wall of the synagogue in June 2021 for allegedly anti-Semitic motives and then set fire to it with a lighter. The aim was for the fire to engulf significant parts of the synagogue.
No one was injured, but property damage amounting to several thousand euros was caused. The Turkish defendant did not make any statements about the crime at the start of the trial, but had previously confessed to the crime to the psychiatric expert. The expert reported that the man had said that he wanted to draw attention to the suffering of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel.
The accused had explained that he wanted to set an example. "If the others don't do anything, I'll do something myself," he said, according to the expert witness. During the fire, the flames largely went out on their own. Passers-by informed the fire department and a police officer was able to finally extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. There were no people in the building at the time.
Initially fled to Turkey
The man's lawyer said that the prosecution had overstated the charges. The 47-year-old was a "misguided idealist". He had acted without any political aspirations. Only the wall and a window had been sooted. "That was all. The action was unsuitable for destroying a building."
According to witnesses, the perpetrator quickly left after setting the fire. According to the psychiatrist, he drove back to his apartment and thought he would soon be arrested by the police. The man was publicly searched for with pictures after the crime.
According to the Stuttgart public prosecutor's office, he had initially fled to Turkey. Because Turkey, like Germany, does not extradite its own citizens, the investigators' legal means of prosecution were initially exhausted. However, when the suspect re-entered Germany via Stuttgart Airport at the beginning of July 2023, he was arrested. He has been in custody ever since.
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The 47-year-old's actions, including spilling petrol on the Ulm synagogue and setting it alight, were motivated by his desire to bring attention to the plight of Palestinians in their conflict with Israel. The international community has been following the trial closely, given the context of rising antisemitic incidents globally.
Source: www.ntv.de
