- More than 700 anti-Semitic offences in the second quarter
Anti-Semitic Incidents: Germany's Federal Criminal Office recorded 715 cases in the second quarter of this year, including 19 violent acts with seven injured. This figure is over a third higher than the previous year.
Comparing to the start of the year, the trend shows a slight decrease: From January to the end of March, the same statistics showed 793 cases, including 14 violent acts and seven injured. This information comes from the German government's response to a query by Petra Pau, Vice President of the Bundestag and a Left Party politician.
"The number of recorded anti-Semitic crimes remains high," said Petra Pau to the German Press Agency. She has been tracking these numbers for years. "These cases show that the spread of anti-Semitic sentiments often leads to active violence. Jewish people still cannot feel safe in public spaces. Incidents can happen anywhere, from universities to bars to supermarkets." She warned that with the escalation of various crises, the numbers could rise further.
Numbers may still change
After the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the number of anti-Semitic incidents and crimes also increased in Germany. The figures can be confusing and hard to compare due to different recording standards used by police and the Rias network's reporting centers.
In their response to Petra Pau, the Federal Ministry of the Interior refers to the official statistics on politically motivated crime, but these are preliminary numbers that may change with further reports.
Of the 715 anti-Semitic incidents recorded from April to the end of June, 302 were cases of hate speech. 298 cases were categorized as "foreign ideology." Another 256 cases were attributed to "right-wing politically motivated crime," including two violent acts.
Berlin was the regional hotspot, with 320 cases of anti-Semitism recorded there alone.
In total, 580 suspects were identified. Six people were temporarily detained, but no arrest warrants were issued initially. Six of the seven people injured in anti-Semitic violence were in Berlin, with one in North Rhine-Westphalia. All were reported to have suffered minor injuries.
The Commission, led by Petra Pau, expressed concern over the escalating anti-Semitic incidents, urging for increased efforts to ensure the safety of Jewish individuals. The German Commission on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which The Commission represents, is closely monitoring the rising number of incidents.
