Pro Palestinian demonstration in New York
(Shai Yadgar)
In London, the pro-Palestinian demonstrations turned violent, in Berlin Jewish homes were marked and in many places parents chose not to send their children to Jewish schools, fearing that they would be harmed. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will arrive on Tuesday for a solidarity visit to Israel. The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs began cooperating with the Cyber Department of the State Attorney's Office in order to remove anti-Semitic content from social media.
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The echoes of war between Israel and Hamas are clearly heard worldwide, and especially in Europe in countries with a large Muslim population. Since this weekend, the Jewish and Israeli communities around the world have experienced moments of anxiety, following a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and threats to harm Jewish institutions.
A particularly tumultuous scene was in London, where the Jewish community anxiously followed the large pro-Palestinian demonstrations and rallies on Saturday, at least one of which involved violence when an Israel supporter who was waving the Israeli flag was beaten by the demonstrators and rescued at the last minute by dozens of British policemen.
On Friday, seven Jewish schools decided to close their doors even though the community's security organization did not officially order to close them. Jews and Israelis living in the UK say the demonstrations arouse harsh emotions and remind them of an incident that took place in 2021 when Palestinians who came from Manchester drove through Jewish neighborhoods and chanted "We will rape your daughters". In addition, there were demonstrations inside schools, and Jewish teachers and students felt unsafe.
"Even now the schools' staff instructed the children not to come with a uniform and a symbol so that they would not be recognized as Jews. There is great anxiety here," said sources in the Israeli community in Britain.
On the other hand, the Jewish community in the UK made large donations to Israel, including assistance given by health professionals and sending protective equipment for the IDF. The community in the UK is also mourning the deaths of four British nationals who were murdered, three of whom are Jews. It is also reported that nine British nationals were kidnapped. "Anti-Semites do not distinguish between Israelis and Jews"
In Germany, the situation has worsened in recent days and Star of David inscriptions have been sprayed on Jewish houses. According to local sources, there are many threats and attempts to demonstrate against Israel, but the German police dispersed these demonstrations with a heavy hand. It should be noted that there is also a lot of social solidarity and demonstrations of pro-Israel support by non-Jews, but on the other hand, there is a growing protest from the Muslim immigrant community.
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German security outside the Israeli embassy in Berlin during the war
(Photo: Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP)
The German authorities also made sure to increase security at Jewish institutions, and pro-Palestinian demonstrations were banned in some cities. The Frankfurt International Book Fair canceled awarding a prize to a Palestinian writer and announced uncompromising support for Israel.
The Israeli Embassy in Berlin stated: "Berlin 2023 - the houses where Jews live will be marked again. This brings back the worst memories, especially in Germany, and it is intolerable. Antisemites do not distinguish between Israelis and Jews in the Diaspora. They want to exterminate us all without exception."
Rabbi Yehuda Teichtel, the Chabad emissary in Berlin, said: "The feeling is not pleasant these days, some Jews may be anxious, afraid of the situation and worried about the future, but one thing is clear - the German government and the German people are united in their uncompromising support for Israel. We see this in the public statements, and it is also reflected in the conversations that the leaders and residents have with us, and it is also portrayed in the strong support of the German media, which is very pro-Israel. This great support and of course a strong belief in God contributed to the calmness among the Jews in Berlin.
Oliver Vrankovic, the head of the German-Israeli Society (DIG) in Stuttgart (a pro-Israeli
group with 54 chapters and 6,000 members) tells Ynetnews that Monday evening a show of solidarity was organized by the local branch of the DIG, in which more than 500 people lit up the flashlight of their cellphones and sang the Israeli anthem HaTikva on the central market square of Stuttgart in southwest Germany. Among the speakers at the gathering were high-profile politicians and clergymen, such as the mayor of Stuttgart, the president of the county parliament of Baden Württemberg, the head of the Jewish community, a bishop and a protestant dean; all of them reiterated their support for Israel and the Jewish people.
The DIG also stepped in for the Hasbara which was absent in the first days of the war. The young forum of the DIG conducted an excellent information campaign in social media.
The president of the DIG, Volker Beck, the board and the local branches called for unconditional support for Israel and the IDF, demanding to take action against the sponsors of terror, a review of all financial support for the Palestinians and a change of the German Iran policy. Beck demanded to outlaw Palestinian organizations like Samidoun that were celebrating the mass killings of Jews in the streets of Berlin and other cities. It's because of the DIG that the streets and squares were mostly covered in Blue and White. This weekend Samidoun was outlawed and many Palestinian demonstrations were forbidden.
In the meantime, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to arrive Wednesday, for a solidarity visit to Israel. The visit should last only a few hours, and from there Scholtz is expected to continue to Egypt.
The Anti-Defamation League points to a series of anti-Semitic events around the world, including the vandalism of shops in various places, the spraying of graffiti on synagogues and Jewish institutions in Europe and around the world, the spraying of graffiti on the Israeli embassy in Colombia and, of course, exhibitions of antisemitism on campuses throughout the United States.
The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism also reported that pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held in other places in the world such as Canada, New Zealand, Italy and Turkey. In response to incitement and antisemitic posts displayed on social media, the ministry began cooperating today with the cyber unit in the State Attorney's Office, in order to demand the removal of such posts.