The Kahal Adass Jisroel synagogue in Berlin was reportedly firebombed Wednesday morning with two Molotov cocktails.
Tension in the city erupted Tuesday night with riots between Muslim immigrants and police that left several police officers wounded, The Associated Press (AP) reported. Police allege that two persons were responsible for this attack and that they had coverings over their faces when they fled the scene, according to The AP. Police also later prevented a third man who was shouting anti-Israel slogans from running into the building, the outlet noted. (RELATED: Jewish Man Attacked While Entering New York Synagogue Amid Spike In Antisemitic Hate Crimes)
Berlin synagogue firebombed, with antisemitism spiking as Gaza war rages https://t.co/8Tojg34V1K . Click to read ⬇️
— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) October 18, 2023
“Tonight (October 18th) an attempted arson attack was carried out on our community Kahal Adass Yisroel. Unknown people threw two Molotov cocktails from the street in the direction of our community center on Brunnenstrasse in Berlin-Mitte,” the official Kahal Adass Jisorel account tweeted in German.
Heute Nacht (18.10.) wurde ein versuchter Brandanschlag auf unsere Gemeinde Kahal Adass Jisroel verübt. Unbekannte warfen dabei 2 Molotow-Cocktails von der Straße aus in Richtung unseres Gemeindezentrums in der Brunnenstraße in Berlin-Mitte. pic.twitter.com/tnh0UIV9mw
— Kahal Adass Jisroel (@KAJ_Berlin) October 18, 2023
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz indirectly referenced the incident when he tweeted in German, “Attacks against Jewish institutions, violent riots on our streets – this is inhumane, disgusting and cannot be tolerated. Anti-Semitism has no place in Germany. My thanks go to the security forces, especially in this situation.”
Anschläge gegen jüdische Einrichtungen, gewalttätige Ausschreitungen auf unseren Straßen – das ist menschenverachtend, abscheulich und nicht zu dulden. Antisemitismus hat in Deutschland keinen Platz. Mein Dank geht besonders in dieser Situation an die Sicherheitskräfte.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) October 18, 2023
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen commented Wednesday to the European Parliament about the rising tide of antisemitism sweeping Europe that is occurring in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel, the BBC reported. This particular incident came after reports of hundreds of Gazans being killed as a result of a hospital strike.