German authorities raid homes of those accused of antisemitism
- Antisemitism and Islamophobia have been rising since Oct. 7
- Germany raided the homes of 17 people accused of antisemitic hate speech
- Germany has strict hate speech laws and bans Holocaust denial
Police officers leave a house during a raid in the early hours of the morning in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. German authorities have raided the premises of 17 people in Bavaria accused of spreading antisemitic hate speech and threats to Jews online. Bavarian criminal police said Tuesday the suspects were two women and fifteen men aged between 18 and 62. German news agency dpa reported that police questioned the suspects and confiscated evidence from their homes, including cell phones and laptops. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)
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(NewsNation) — Authorities in Germany raided the homes of 17 people accused of making antisemitic threats online and supporting the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7.
Police in Bavaria raided the homes of the suspects, who were between the ages of 18 and 62. Police seized evidence from the 15 men and two women, including cellphones and laptops.
Authorities say the suspects celebrated the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 and were also accused of spreading antisemitic hate speech and using symbols of banned terrorist organizations.
German press agency dpa reported that one suspect was said to have sent a WhatsApp message to a school class with the words “Gas the Jews” and another allegedly said Jewish people deserved to be “exterminated.”
“Unfortunately, antisemitism has an impact on the daily life of many Jews in Germany,” Michael Weinzierl, the Bavarian police commissioner against hate crime, told dpa. “The terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel also has an impact on their lives in Germany.”
Since the Israel-Hamas war began, countries around the globe have reported a rise in antisemitism along with a rise in Islamophobia and anti-Arab rhetoric.
Germany has strict laws regarding hate speech and has banned the publication of certain symbols like the swastika, which are connected with Nazis. Holocaust denial is also banned in the country.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
