In view of the war in the Middle East, the German interior ministers do not want to fully accept pro-Palestinian demonstrations against Israel.
“The abuse of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly to spread hatred and agitation against Israel and Jews is not only intolerable, but we are countering it with all available constitutional means,” emphasized the chairwoman of the Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK), Berlin’s Senator for the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD ), at the opening. The visit of the Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor and the President of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, to the conference is therefore an important signal.
Threat situation from Islamist terrorism
The global security situation has recently deteriorated “dramatically,” which has a direct impact on Germany, Spranger continued. The threat of terrorism is the second focus of the three-day conference in Berlin. In view of the current conflicts, the protection of citizens in Germany is particularly important.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had already emphasized on the news portal “t-online” that there was an increased threat situation, particularly from Islamist terrorism. “Right now we need to keep a close eye on Islamist threats and stop further radicalization processes.” The police are currently focusing primarily on the Christmas markets and next year’s 2024 European Football Championship.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) will also be a guest of the interior ministers. Spranger said that Germany’s internal and external security “can no longer be clearly separated.”
Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) demanded on the sidelines of the conference that the controls introduced by Faeser in mid-October at the borders, especially with Poland and the Czech Republic, must be continued. “The controls have been extremely successful. Since they began, we have been able to arrest hundreds of criminal smugglers,” said Herrmann. The controls would have a clear deterrent effect. It would be “a completely wrong signal” to end it again. Similar assessments were heard from other interior ministers.
Dealing with violent football fans should also be an important topic at the IMK. Lower Saxony, Hamburg and Hesse in particular are pushing for consultations on the issue, and several federal states also see the DFB as having an obligation to contribute to the costs of police operations. After some incidents at German airports, there should also be talk about more security in such places. It is also about the fight against increasing violent crime, sexualized depictions of violence against children through artificial intelligence and the reversal of the burden of proof when confiscating criminals’ assets.
