German Muslims frustrated by Israel backing

Since the Hamas attacks, Germany has been in a state of heightened tension. While pro-Palestinian marches have been banned in many towns and cities, others have been allowed to go ahead, with strict guidelines. 

In the meantime there has been a steep increase in reports of antisemitic attacks targeting the country’s estimated 200,000-strong Jewish population. The Rias group, which tracks antisemitism, said it recorded 994 incidents between 7 October and 9 November, an increase of 320% compared with the same period in 2022. 

 Last month, before a two-day annual conference bringing together politicians, Muslim groups and representatives of the Christian and Jewish communities, the interior minister, Nancy Faeser, called on Muslim groups to clearly condemn the Hamas attacks and distance themselves from antisemitism.

 But many Muslims, part of the second biggest religious group in Germany with 5.5 million people, say they are being unfairly targeted. A large increase in Islamophobic attacks has also been registered, and it is suspected that many more have gone unreported.

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