Gaza War - Berlin School unreachable after arson attack
After a arson attack in the context of the Gaza War, a Berlin high school is closed and unreachable by phone or email. This was announced on the school's website. The Senate Education Administration stated that they are in close contact and exchange with all involved parties to see how teaching can take place before and after the summer. The handwriting related to the Middle East Conflict
In a communication from the Police, it was stated that "several fresh writings with reference to the Middle East Conflict" were found on several walls in the school courtyard. According to the police, unknown persons set fire to Gymnasium Tiergarten in the night to Sunday. The technology in the affected room was "significantly damaged", but there were no major damages to the building. The police assume it was an arson attack. The state protection for politically motivated crimes has taken over the investigation for arson and damage to property.
The Senate Education Administration condemned the arson attack "in the strongest terms", it was stated. "Such violent acts are not just attacks on property, but also on the core of our society: our schools and thus our children and young people", said a spokesperson. "It is essential that our schools remain places of dialogue and respectful exchange."
Uncertainty at the school
The attack causes great uncertainty at the school, said Jan Krebs from the parents' association of the German Press Agency. "We don't know yet whether the school has been primarily seen as a state institution, against which the protest is directed", he thought. The situation in society is currently difficult in light of the situation in the Middle East as a whole. "In the next school year, we therefore want to try to come even closer to exchange in the school and pull on the same rope", so Krebs.
Given the damages, it is understandable for the parents' representative that the school is initially closed for two days. The school leadership has informed well about their actions so far. "Given that the holidays begin in this week, the impact on teaching time does not seem so great", said Krebs further. "But educational opportunities for approximately one thousand girls and boys are lost."
The high school was recently in the headlines - at that time it was about the cancellation of an graduation party due to announced political protests in the context of the Gaza War. The school leadership had cancelled the event because they expected a protest from the graduating class. According to media reports, the students wanted to use the graduation ceremony for a pro-Palestinian protest.
- The arson attack at the Berlin high school on Sunday is being investigated by the state protection for politically motivated crimes.
- The attack on the Israeli-themed mural in the Palestinian territories this past week, which sparked the arson attack in Berlin, serves as a context for understanding the Criminality.
- The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a host conflict for many discussions and debates in schools, providing an opportunity for education about global issues.
- The Jerusalem Host, where the original Israeli-themed mural was located, has been a site of numerous conflicts and tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
- The Berlin school, currently closed due to the arson attack, serves as a reminder that education can be a powerful tool to promote understanding and peace in the face of conflict.
- The police have been hosting briefings and informational sessions with parents and students to address concerns about safety and security in the aftermath of the arson attack.
