In an explosive interview with German news outlet Berliner Zeitung, Barbara Slowik, head of the Berlin police force, said the city was not safe for people who were obviously Jewish or LGBTQ+.
In the piece published on November 18, Slowik urged such individuals to exercise caution in Arab-majority neighbourhoods.
First asked if Berlin was a safe city, she said it was as safe as many other cities in Germany and safer than many other European capitals.
Slowik then expanded that there were not in principle “no go zones” but added: “There are areas – and we have to be honest at this point – where I would advise people who wear kippahs [Jewish male head caps] or are openly gay or lesbian to be more attentive.”
“In many metropolises, one should be vigilant anyway in certain public places to protect oneself from any crime,” she said.
Regarding the apparent recent rise in hostility towards Israelis and Jews, she said more than 6,200 investigations had been initiated since the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“I’m not defaming any groups of people here. Unfortunately, there are certain neighbourhoods where the majority of people of Arab origin live, who also have sympathies for terrorist groups,” Slowik said.
“Open hostility towards Jews is articulated there against people of Jewish faith and origin.”
A large proportion of the investigations were into so-called hate postings on social media, she said. Another significant number related to damage to property and a significant proportion were regarding propaganda offences.
Around 1,300 investigations were into violent offences, which were mainly directed against police officers on the fringes of gatherings and protests, she added.
Slowik said she was “very concerned that people from the Jewish-Israeli community in Berlin are aware of the total number of anti-Semitic offences and that this increases their fear of being the target of an attack”.
“I am not minimising this, on the contrary. Fortunately, violent offences against Jewish people are few and far between, although there is no question that every act is one too many. Nevertheless, I can understand that fear and worry remain.”
She added that most of the protests had been peaceful, even though sometimes slogans were heard “that are difficult for the majority of society to bear”.
“But all of this is permitted on German streets.”
The police chief called on people to be vigilant and report suspicious activities. She assured readers that the police would do everything in their power to ensure the safety of citizens.
“We must work together to combat all forms of hatred and violence,” Slowik said.
Her remarks came a week after Jewish football team Makkabi Berlin’s youth team, consisting of youngsters aged between 13 and 16, was forced to seek police protection after being attacked by a pro-Palestinian mob armed with sticks and knives in Berlin.
Makkabi Berlin was founded in the 1970s by Holocaust survivors and was the German capital’s first Jewish sports club following the end of the Second World War.
Other recent incidents in Berlin have included a football fan being attacked for wearing a scarf with a Star of David on it, a petrol bomb attack on a synagogue and a couple being attacked in a fast-food outlet for speaking Hebrew.
Antje Kapek, spokeswoman for transport policy of the Green Party in the Berlin Senate, has called for separate carriages for female passengers in reaction to an increasing number of sexual assaults. https://t.co/ndLGWjrbhh
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) November 14, 2024
