Memorials and vigils are being held across Germany on Monday as the world marked the first anniversary of the unprecedented terrorist attacks on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Activists gathered at the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin to read the names of 1,170 people who were killed and 255 who were abducted in Israel on October 7, 2023.
The commemoration began at 5:29 am (0329 GMT) as part of a coordinated effort taking place simultaneously in dozens of cities worldwide, marking the moment the attack started.
Organizers said the aim of the event was to “share the grief of the Jewish people, stand in solidarity with the Jewish state regardless of current politics, and raise voices against anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.”
Later, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to speak at an interfaith service at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.
Participants then plan to walk in silence to the nearby Jewish Community Centre. An additional memorial event is due to take place in front of the building.
In Hamburg, an evening memorial ceremony is planned at the Hohe Weide Synagogue, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz will also make a statement.
Further services are planned across many other cities, including at the Ohel Jakob Synagogue in Munich.
Several pro-Palestinian rallies are also to be held in cities across the country, including in Frankfurt, where a rally was due to go ahead after a court overturned a ban imposed by the city.
Another major demonstration is expected in Berlin, where a march protesting the war in Gaza – which broke out following the October 7 attacks – was closed down on Sunday after some of the 3,500 participants clashed with police.
Authorities in the German capital deployed more than 2,000 officers on Monday in an effort to secure the vigils and keep the peace.
Hamas’ assault on communities and a music festival in southern Israel is considered to be the worst mass attack on Jews since the crimes of the Nazi era.
Around 100 hostages taken by Hamas are believed to remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip, although it is unclear whether they are still alive.
Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, leading to international condemnation and fears of a regional escalation that have only worsened amid the Israeli military’s recent offensive in Lebanon and a barrage of missiles fired at Israel from Iran.
Scholz says Germany stands with Israel
The aftermath of October 7 has proved particularly sensitive in Germany, which sees Israel’s security as a “reason of state” – a phrase alluding to Berlin’s historical responsibility to the Jewish community and the state of Israel following the Holocaust.
However, the country’s significant Muslim minority and pro-Palestinian activists have been alienated by what they perceive as the German government’s failure to address the suffering of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking in Hamburg on Monday, Scholz called for a ceasefire in the Middle East and expressed solidarity with Israel.
“Dear friends in Israel, we feel for you … we stand on your side,” the chancellor said at the opening of a sustainable development conference in the northern German city.
Scholz also highlighted the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza after a year of war.
“Nothing good can come out of the daily experience of violence and hunger,” the chancellor said. “That is why the federal government is calling for a ceasefire, for the release of hostages, for a political process, even though it now seems further away than ever.”
The only solution to the conflict, for Scholz, is a two-state solution, so that “Israelis and Palestinians can live alongside each other permanently.”
But that can only be achieved if a wider escalation in the region is prevented, the chancellor argued, calling for the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and its backers in Iran to end their attacks.
Jewish congregations report anti-Semitic incidents
In a survey released on Monday to mark the anniversary of the October 7 attacks, the Central Council of Jews in Germany found that more than 40% of Jewish congregations in the country have registered anti-Semitic incidents in the past year.
In total, 42% of Jewish communities have recorded instances of anti-Semitism, such as graffiti, insults or threatening phone calls.
“Jewish communities in Germany are in a state of emergency,” the council said.
The organization received information about the consequences of the war in Gaza from 98 of the 105 congregations it represents.
Some 82% said it has become more unsafe to live openly as a Jewish person in Germany, a rise of four percentage points over the last survey in late 2023.
Frankfurt rally set to go ahead after court ruling
In Frankfurt, city authorities initially banned a demonstration due to be held on Monday under the title “For a free Palestine – victory belongs to justice,” but the Hesse Administrative Court said there was no proof that it would pose an immediate threat to public security.
The court said the organizer has previously organized peaceful demonstrations and police would be able to respond to isolated offences during the march through prevention or prosecution.
Frankfurt Mayor Mike Josef had described the demonstration as an “extreme provocation.”
