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Since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel, there has been repeated violence and anti-Semitism on the streets of Berlin during pro-Palestinian demonstrations. There are calls from politicians for rapid deportations – but a look at the numbers shows that in most cases nothing will come of this.
There is violence on the streets of Berlin almost every day. Since the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel with hundreds of dead and kidnapped people almost three weeks ago, people have been marching through the capital every evening, sometimes celebrating Hamas’ terror, calling for violence against Jews, insulting them, and questioning Israel’s right to exist . Criminals throw stones at police officers, set fire to garbage cans, shout anti-Jewish slogans – even throw an incendiary device at a synagogue. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations also repeatedly get out of hand in other German cities, but nowhere with such frequency as in the capital.
852 crimes in connection with the Middle East conflict in Berlin
The Berlin police have long since requested reinforcements from other federal states and from the Federal Police in order to get the situation under control, to prevent and investigate crimes and to arrest the perpetrators.
And politics? She called for tougher action against criminals across almost all party lines and, in particular, tangible consequences for all those who attract attention through anti-Semitic agitation, support for terrorism or violence. It is the time of law and order rhetoric. A selection:
- CDU member of the Bundestag Christoph Ploß: “Anyone who understands Hamas’ terrible terrorist attacks on Israel has no place in Germany!”
- Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP): “People who celebrate these cruel acts on our streets will face criminal consequences or even expulsion.”
- SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil: “If someone who celebrates Hamas on German streets does not have German citizenship, then he should be expelled from Germany.”
- Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens): “Those who we don’t want because they don’t want to adapt, because they are criminals, because they celebrate the death of Jews in Israel in Germany, they must then be repatriated – if that goes …”
…if that’s possible. A look at the numbers and the legal situation shows: In the vast majority of cases, this is exactly what will not work. The pithy statements from politicians are likely to fall flat.
Sedition and terrorist propaganda
In total, the Berlin police have from October 7th to 26th Investigations in 852 cases initiated on suspicion of crimes related to the Middle East conflict. This includes, among other things, offenses that are repeatedly recorded in the context of gatherings, such as breach of the peace, damage to property, bodily harm, freeing prisoners or resistance to law enforcement officers – virtually business as usual in violent demonstrations, regardless of what they are aimed at or against .
However, the police also recorded a number of crimes that were explicitly directed against Israel or Jews. These include incitement to hatred, violation of flags and emblems of foreign states or the dissemination of propaganda materials and symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. There is no exact breakdown of the number of offenses in each case, but the police reports from the capital over the past few weeks are full of such days.
Who are the perpetrators who bring violence and hatred of Israel onto Berlin’s streets? Until Thursday (October 26th), the police in the context of the Middle East conflict as a whole 308 people as suspects investigated, some of them are said to have appeared several times. Most of them, namely 170, have German citizenship, as a survey by the Berlin police shows star is present.
Of the Germans with a dual passport, the German-Turks represent the largest group (13), followed by the German-Lebanese (8). The nationalities of the remaining suspects are spread across the globe. Syrian (30) and Italian (8) citizens stand out.
Deporting people after a possible final conviction should therefore not be possible in most cases. In principle, Germans are not allowed to be deported (even after the experiences of the Nazi era). The Basic Law prohibits the withdrawal of German citizenship and extradition abroad. Even stateless persons or people whose nationality cannot be determined cannot be deported due to a lack of a state capable of accepting them. In addition, there is the large group of people who come from countries to which deportation is currently virtually impossible because there are either no corresponding agreements or serious human rights violations are to be expected there (e.g. Syria or Libya).
The data “only” shows the situation in Berlin, they “only” show a section, but the numbers suggest: The anti-Semitism that is widespread in parts of Germany is above all a German problem that must be solved here and not abroad can be deported – despite all political demands.
Sources: Information Police Berlin, , , DPA news agency
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
