Germany’s police union (GdP) has raised concerns about potential unrest on October 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.
“We expect decency from everyone in Germany on the anniversary of October 7,” the GdP’s chairman Jochen Kopelke told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) media group on Friday.
Police were taking robust and consistent action against perpetrators of violence and rioters, Kopelke said, adding that all security authorities in Germany would have an “enormous need for personnel” on October 7.
Berlin’s GdP spokesman Benjamin Jendro told the RND that authorities were bracing for a “dynamic, city-wide situation” due to the tense atmosphere.
“We are looking with great concern at the coming days,” he said.
Jendro pointed to recent events, saying that pro-Palestinian gatherings had already escalated into anti-Semitic and violent incidents.
Background to demos
He added that the recent developments in the Middle East involving Israel, Lebanon, and Iran could influence public demonstrations in the city.
On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian organization Hamas and other militants launched a terrorist attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting around 240 people into the Gaza Strip.
Israel responded with a fierce and ongoing counter-attack on Gaza. The Hamas-controlled health authority in the besieged strip puts the current death toll at more than 41,000 since October 7.
The conflict triggered numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrations worldwide, including in Germany, some of which were violent.
Domestic intelligence agency warns of risk of anti-Semitism
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, officially called the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has warned of a rise in anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic protests in Germany on the October 7 anniversary.
BfV President Thomas Haldenwang said on Friday that the anniversary could serve as a “trigger event for wide parts of the protest spectrum.”
Haldenwang added that the current situation holds significant potential for heightened emotions, polarization and radicalization among previously moderate actors.
He also noted that the potential danger of terrorist attacks on Jewish and Israeli people and institutions, as well as against “the West” as a whole, has significantly increased over the past six months.
According to the BfV’s assessment, Berlin is likely to be the focal point of the protests expected on October 7. Several demonstrations are planned in the capital on that day, in addition to commemorative events.
Due to the “enormous significance” of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, and the high civilian death toll in Lebanon, the BfV warns that violent actions by individuals or small groups against Israeli or Jewish targets cannot be ruled out.
Haldenwang explained that the Middle East conflict has strengthened anti-Semitism, with anti-Israel and anti-Jewish narratives forming “the basis for the anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish poison” spreading through social networks. He said anti-Semitism is “a broad path to almost all forms of extremism and thus a powerful source of danger for our democracy.”
Since October 7, 2023, anti-Semitic crimes have reached an all-time high, he said.
Haldenwang called for decisive action, stating, “We must resolutely confront the crisis profiteers who incite, fuel and propagate conflicts.”
He noted that security authorities have adapted to the changed situation and contributed to banning relevant organizations. For Germany, the existence of Israel is beyond question, and he emphasized that “only robust security offers protection against terrorism and anti-Semitism.”
German-Palestinian Society’s view
The president of the German-Palestinian Society (DPG), Nazih Musharbash, distanced himself from parts of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations in comments to RBB-Inforadio on Friday.
He said that if laws were broken during demonstrations, it would be punishable and not supported by the DPG. “That is why we do not call for rallies from the German-Palestinian Society, because we do not want to have these people with us.”
This applies to both right-wing extremists in Germany and Islamists, he said. “They disturb us and they harm our cause. They are not representatives of the vast majority, the peaceful vast majority of Palestinians in Germany.”
In Germany, much has changed since October, 7, 2023 – and not for the better, said Musharbash. Both Palestinians and Jews are being held responsible for the actions of their respective governments, groups or religions. It is expected that everyone takes a position.
“Either you are for Israel, then you are against Palestine or vice versa. This is wrong,” said Musharbash. Everyone must work together for peace, he said.
The Palestinian community hardly dares to express itself, he said, adding: “Those who demonstrate on the street do not reflect what the majority thinks. They are grieving and they feel no empathy from society and politics.”
At the same time, Musharbash called on the German government to exert pressure on Israel to end the occupation of regions such as the West Bank.
