By Zara Riffler
Just last Saturday, around 300 demonstrators marched through the capital, chanting hate slogans: “Death to Israel”.
So they demanded the violent annihilation of the Jewish state. A loudspeaker car rang out: “Death to the Jews.”
Despite the hatred of the Jews, the police did not break up the demo.
State security is investigating. But now the next hate demo is already planned!
The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster (69), told BILD: “Should there again be obvious inhuman and anti-Semitic slogans at this demonstration, I expect the rally to be broken up immediately. I would consider it dangerous to let the rule of law go by.”
Do left-wing extremists and Islamists who hate Jews have a free hand in Germany?
Left-wing extremists and Islamists behind hate demos
The fact is: the “Alternative Palestinian Revolutionary Path Movement” and the “Samidoun” network invited to the hate demonstration last Saturday.
“Samidoun” is considered to be the front organization of the left-wing extremist “Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine” (PFLP). The Marxist PFLP is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and Israel. According to a report by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the PFLP is propagating the armed struggle against Israel – in which it seeks to “close ranks” with the Islamist Hamas and Hezbollah.
December 2017: Demonstrators burn a self-painted flag with the Star of David in Berlin-Neukölln. Again and again anti-Semitic demonstrations take place regularly in Germany – especially in Berlin-Neukölln, where 150,000 people with a migration background live Photo: dpa
As BILD learned from Berlin security circles, it was evident in Berlin that the left-wing extremist PFLP and the Islamist Hamas would march together at protests. Both also take part in meetings together, which they would help shape.
► Islamism expert Susanne Schröter (65) explains in BILD: Cadres from these groups would promote cooperation “between Islamists and leftists”. They would benefit from “the fact that the fight against anti-Semitism expressed by politicians is largely limited to historical commemorations or is understood exclusively as part of a fight against the right.”
Susanne Schröter criticizes: “Muslim anti-Semitism is downplayed, and left-wing anti-Semitism is acceptable up to the highest circles of the cultural sector if it comes in the guise of ‘criticism of Israel’ or uses post-colonial rhetoric.”
In Israel, “Samidoun” is considered a terrorist organization. The President of the German-Israeli Society, Volker Beck (62, Greens), asked Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (52, SPD) on Monday to have a ban reviewed.
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai (46) is appalled by this radical hatred of Jews. He to BILD: “Anti-Semitic slogans have no place in our country!”
“Demonstrators who spread hatred and hate speech must be identified and prosecuted. For me, the question arises as to why the demonstration was not broken off. The Berlin authorities don’t give a good picture at this point,” says Djir-Sarai.
Next Jew hate march planned
Now the next hate demo is to take place. Samidoun is again calling for a protest on April 16 to mark the “International Day of Palestinian Prisoners”.
The Berlin police informed BILD that a “conventional danger prognosis is currently being drawn up” for the protest on Sunday. At this point in time, “no statements can be made about measures taken by the assembly authorities”.
► Anna Staroselski (27), President of the Jewish Student Union, to BILD: “It is intolerable that the rule of law is letting Jewish citizens down. Because apparently, despite Sunday speeches and promises, anti-Semitism has a place in our society and can even be lived out on the open street.”
“There is enough evidence on the table, a ban on the activity of the PFLP-affiliated Samidoun hate group must follow as a matter of urgency,” demands Staroselski.
► Interior expert Christoph de Vries (48, CDU) to BILD: “It is disgusting that these pro-Palestinian, Islamist demonstrators are abusing the fundamental right to freedom of assembly in order to publicly spread their anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli hate slogans.”
Above all, it is important that “the growing Islamist anti-Semitism is finally taken seriously politically and consistently combated with preventive measures, deradicalization programs and bans on associations”.