"Situation-adapted measures" for Pogrom Night Remembrance Day
In an already tense security situation, the police in Brandenburg are planning "situation-adapted measures" for the protection of Jewish institutions on the anniversary of the pogrom night 85 years ago. The situation in the context of the Middle East conflict is being assessed "on an ongoing basis", a police spokesperson explained on Wednesday. The spokesperson did not want to give any more specific details: "For tactical reasons, we are not providing any information on the security concept." The police are in contact with Jewish communities and institutions.
On the night of November 9-10, 1938, National Socialists vandalized around 7500 Jewish businesses and institutions in Germany. They set fire to most of the approximately 1,200 synagogues and houses of worship, demolished Jewish cemeteries and stormed homes. It is unclear how many people died. The Nazi regime spoke of 91 dead Jews. Historians estimate that more than 1,300 people died as a result of the pogrom. More than 30,000 Jews were deported to concentration camps.
Terrorism expert Peter Neumann recently warned of the increased likelihood of Islamist attacks in Germany. Over the past ten years, "the myth of the lone terrorist perpetrator has become so normalized that many may consider striking out on their own", Neumann said on Deutschlandfunk radio on Wednesday. He could imagine that this would become the "modus operandi" against Jewish institutions.
He called for the prioritization of hatred of Jews or hostility towards Israel in security considerations. All security authorities would then have to focus intensively on this phenomenon. If you "don't want to be overwhelmed in a few years' time, then you have to concentrate on monitoring this very closely now - both on the street and on the internet".
Given the history of extremism and attacks on Jewish institutions, the ongoing assessment of the Middle East conflict's impact on internal security is crucial. Failure to prioritize and closely monitor hatred towards Jews or hostility towards Israel could lead to an increased likelihood of Islamist attacks, as warned by terrorism expert Peter Neumann.
Source: www.dpa.com
