Germany: Jews and gays advised not to reveal their identity in Berlin's Arab neighborhoods

Police in Berlin, the capital of Germany, issued a warning aimed at members of the Jewish community and homosexuals to avoid going to areas of the city where there is a predominantly Arab population, or else not to reveal their identity in those areas, German newspaper Blind reported.

Berlin Police Chief Barbara Slowik urged Jews and homosexuals to avoid going to areas of the city where there are "people of Arab origin who sympathize with terrorist groups."

"There are areas, and we should be honest about this, where I would advise people who wear kippahs or who are openly gay or lesbian to be more cautious," Slowik added.

While the official maintained that her intention is not to "stigmatize" a specific group, she explained that "unfortunately, there are certain areas where the majority of residents of Arab origin have an affinity for terrorist groups, resulting in overt antisemitism against people of Jewish faith and origin."

The official also called on people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.

"We must work together against all forms of hate and violence," Slowik said.

Speaking to the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung, Slowik said that "fortunately, violent crimes against Jews are few" although she can understand "the fear and concern" among members of the Jewish community.

Worrying facts

Berlin police have launched more than 6,200 investigations related to antisemitism, including, among other things: hateful posts against Jews on social media, property damage and propaganda crimes. However, some 1,300 of these cases are linked to acts of violence, especially assaults on police officers and resisting arrest.

British newspaper The Telegraph noted that in a serious antisemitic incident in early November, Makkabi Berlin, a youth soccer club in the Jewish community, reported that team members were chased after a match in an Arab neighborhood by a mob of violent people carrying knives and sticks. The teenage players claimed that they were spat at and insulted throughout the game.

Other incidents in Berlin, the newspaper added, included the attack on a soccer fan wearing a Star of David scarf, the throwing of firebombs at a synagogue shortly after the Oct. 7 massacre and the assault on a couple who were speaking Hebrew at a fast-food joint.

Also, on the day of the Oct. 7 massacre, a group of men handed out candy in the Berlin neighborhood of Neukolln to celebrate the brutal attack by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups in southern Israel.

The Neukolln neighborhood is also known to be a popular destination for nightlife for the LGBT community. While there have previously been no inconveniences related to the coexistence between homosexuals and the Arab community in the neighborhood, in recent times, there have been many reported incidents in which gay couples were physically assaulted.

Lawmakers acknowledge the problem

The Bundestag (German parliament) recently passed a resolution against antisemitism in which immigrants from Middle Eastern countries were mentioned as one of the main causes of this scourge.

This resolution could result in the removal of asylum status for people found guilty of committing hate crimes.