The Berlin police are looking into what looks to be an arson attempt on a synagogue there. Molotov cocktails were thrown at the building from the street by two people, who have yet to be recognized. The deadly fight between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza has only recently started, and this crime follows after it.
According to Fox News, the attack on the synagogue took place at around 3:45 a.m. on October 18. The burning projectiles didn’t make it any further than the sidewalk next to the building before exploding. Both attackers walked up to their chosen targets, but neither showed their faces. During investigations a few hours later, a man drove up on a scooter and attempted to charge the scene on foot. Police detained him, and he reportedly resisted while yelling anti-Israel rhetoric. No information has come forward to suggest that the two occurrences are related.
The attempted arson was swiftly criticized by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He reportedly told the AP that the nation was “united” in its efforts to save Jewish communities. Since the rise of Nazi authority in the 1930s soiled Germany’s relationship with the religious and ethnic community, attacks like these ring especially true. The terrible slaughter of over six million European Jews began with the destruction of more than 1,400 synagogues in Germany and Austria.
Concerns of an upsurge in anti-Semitic attacks were voiced across Germany after the violent confrontation between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7. The government took measures to ensure the safety of Jewish institutions and hoisted Jewish flags in the plazas outside municipal buildings to show its support. Many of the symbols have been destroyed by fire. The Star of David has allegedly been spray-painted onto other structures.
It’s not just the United States that’s seeing an uptick in its share of similar conflicts; leaders in many parts of the world are having to put in more hours to maintain stability.
