“We must further strengthen the protection of Jewish and Israeli institutions in the current situation,” said Faeser to “BamS”. Your ministry “reacted immediately” and all security authorities were “sensitized”. In Berlin, police protection of Israeli and Jewish institutions has already been increased.
Faeser explained that the federal and state governments had “closely coordinated” their approach. She spoke to the chairwoman of the Conference of Interior Ministers and Berlin Senator for the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD), and her ministry is also “in close contact” with the Central Council of Jews in Germany.
Spranger explained on the online service
“The security authorities are keeping a very close eye on possible Hamas supporters in the Islamist scene,” warned Faeser in “Bild”. Reports of celebrations in the Berlin district of Neukölln had previously caused outrage in view of the massive Hamas attacks against Israel.
The Berlin police said in the evening on the online service X: “There are currently posts circulating with pictures that show that people are celebrating the attacks on Israel by distributing sweet baked goods on Sonnenallee.” Police officers were on site and took “the necessary measures,” including recording personal details and criminal charges.
The Neukölln district mayor Martin Hikel (SPD) sharply condemned the baked goods distribution campaign by the Palestinian prisoner solidarity network Samidoun. “The fact that an organization like Samidoun in Neukölln is handing out sweets while terror is spreading over Israel is a terrible glorification of a terrible war,” Hikel told “Welt”. He called on the Federal Ministry of the Interior to issue a ban on activities against the radical group. The radical group welcomed the attacks on Israel online as “resistance”.
“Samidoun’s disgusting terrorist propaganda is rightly banned in Israel and must also be banned in Germany,” emphasized the district mayor. He also spoke out against the threat posed to a world television team by suspected Samidoun supporters in Berlin.
German politicians also discussed the consequences of the Hamas attacks. Aid promised by Germany to Palestinians amounting to 340 million euros “must now be stopped immediately,” said CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter. The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Michael Roth (SPD), told Spiegel that the EU must “finally rethink its Iran policy” because Tehran supports Hamas.
Former Federal Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) warned in the “Rheinische Post” that the Hamas attacks served “the aim of preventing the rapprochement between the neighboring Arab states and Israel through war and violence.”
CDU foreign policy expert Armin Laschet assessed the situation in the same way and argued on Welt TV that it was therefore “necessary to finally eliminate Hamas.” Any cooperation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank must “now come to an end.” “The whole of Europe, all 27 states, must now say: We need a new beginning, we will no longer finance terrorism,” demanded Laschet.
