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Europe

Berlin Police Chief Warns Jews And LGBTQ+ To Exercise Caution In Certain Areas

2024-11-19

[Jpost] 'There are areas where I would advise people who wear a kippah or are openly homosexual or lesbians to be more attentive,' says Barbara Slowik.

Berlin Police Chief Barbara Slowik has issued a warning to Jews and LGBTQ+ individuals to exercise caution in certain areas of the German capital amid rising antisemitism and hate crimes. Speaking to the press, Slowik emphasized the need for vigilance in the wake of recent events, particularly following the attack by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023.

"There are no so-called no-go areas, meaning areas that are too dangerous to enter," Slowik stated, as reported by Die Zeit. "However, there are areas, and we must be honest at this stage, where I would advise people who wear a kippah or are openly homosexual or lesbians to be more attentive," she added, emphasizing the importance of caution in public spaces.

Slowik explained, "Unfortunately, there are certain neighborhoods where predominantly Arab-descended people live, who also have sympathies for terrorist groups," and where "open anti-Semitism is articulated there against people of Jewish faith and origin.”

Highlighting the tensions in certain neighborhoods, Slowik explained, "Unfortunately, there are certain neighborhoods where predominantly Arab-descended people live, who also have sympathies for terrorist groups," and where "open anti-Semitism is articulated there against people of Jewish faith and origin," according to Der Standard - Archäologie. She stressed that her intention was not to stigmatize any community, stating, "I do not want to 'defame' any particular group of people as perpetrators," as reported by Süddeutsche Zeitung.

While the police chief did not specify the exact areas of concern, she linked the increase in antisemitic incidents to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. "This understandably increases the fear within the community of becoming a target of an attack," Slowik noted, adding, "That fear and concern remain, I can understand," as reported by Die Zeit.

Since October 7, 2023, the Berlin police have initiated over 6,200 investigations related to antisemitism and incitement to hatred, according to Süddeutsche Zeitung. A significant portion of these cases involves hate postings on the internet, property damage, and propaganda offenses. "Of the 1,300 investigations regarding violent crimes, it is mostly about attacks or resistance against police officers at demonstrations," Slowik indicated.

Despite the rise in reported incidents, direct violent crimes against Jewish individuals remain relatively low. "Fortunately, the violent crimes against Jewish people are low, but without question, every act is one too many," Slowik emphasized, as noted by Die Zeit. She acknowledged the heightened sense of insecurity within the Jewish-Israeli community, stating, "People from the Jewish-Israeli community in Berlin perceive the total number of anti-Semitic crimes, which raises their fear of becoming targets of attacks," according to Der Standard - Archäologie.

In her remarks, Slowik also underscored the complexity of the situation, acknowledging the diverse backgrounds of the city's residents. "I do not want to 'defame' any particular group of people as perpetrators," she stated, emphasizing the importance of not generalizing or assigning blame to entire communities.

The Telegraph adds:

Other incidents in Berlin include a football fan being attacked for wearing a scarf with a Star of David on it, a petrol bomb attack on a synagogue shortly after the Oct 7 massacres in southern Israel, and a couple being attacked in a fast-food outlet for speaking Hebrew.

On the day of the Hamas massacres, men handed out sweets in celebration in the Berlin neighbourhood of Neukolln, an incident that shocked Germany and led to deep anxiety over whether the recent waves of migration had made Jewish life less safe.

Neukolln, also famous for its LGBT nightlife, is the Berlin district with the highest Arab population. The two communities have coexisted for years, although there have been several incidents of gay couples being physically assaulted in recent years.

Earlier this month, a large majority of lawmakers in the Bundestag, Germany’s national parliament, voted for a new resolution against anti-Semitism that mentioned migration from the Middle East as a factor. The resolution, drafted by the Greens, the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats, warned of an “alarming extent of anti-Semitism based on migration from countries where anti-Semitism and hostility to Israel are widespread due to state indoctrination”.

The resolution could lead to refugees having their asylum status taken away if they are found guilty of committing anti-Semitic crimes.

The migration debate flared again in the summer amid fears of a rise in terrorism, but is likely to play second fiddle to Germany’s stagnating economy in the upcoming election. The hard-Right Alternative for Germany has cited the protection of the country’s Jewish minority as a reason to push through a much tougher policy of mass deportations of refugees back to countries such as Syria.

Posted by:Elmerert Hupens2660

#3 The hard-Right Alternative for Germany has cited the protection of the country’s Jewish minority as a reason to push through a much tougher policy of mass deportations of refugees back to countries such as Syria.

That isn't true anymore. The AFD has Corbynized itself over the past 2-3 years. Many of their leading politicians are increasingly pro Erdogan, Qatar, Iran, Russia and their adjuncts like Hezbollah and Hamas.

Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660 2024-11-19 15:48

#2 Can Kristallnacht II be far behind?

Posted by: Mercutio 2024-11-19 09:12

#1 No Go Zones

Posted by: Procopius2k 2024-11-19 07:24

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