Government agencies in Iran could be behind the shots at the rabbi’s house at the old synagogue in Essen (photo) a week ago. According to information from FOCUS online, state security officers have now arrested a German-Iranian from Dortmund.
The 35-year-old man apparently wanted to hire assassins from the local Iranian community to carry out attacks on Jewish institutions. According to the Düsseldorf public prosecutor’s office, the suspect is now in custody for attempting to incite an arson attack. He is also said to have detonated a Molotov cocktail at a school located at the back of the local Jewish place of worship during this period.
Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) informed the interior committee in the state parliament on Friday that another attack on a synagogue in Dortmund had been prevented that Friday night. A witness put the investigators on the crucial track. The tipster, who was born in Tehran, reported on a recruitment interview by the suspect. The latter wanted to persuade him to also commit an attack on the synagogue in Dortmund.
As a reward for the attack, the recruiter promised his interlocutor that the Iranian authorities would not prosecute him any further. This would allow him to return to Tehran unhindered. The investigators see this offer as an indication that the German-Iranian recruiter could have contacts with government agencies in Tehran. Otherwise he could not have made such promises.
The person addressed in this way revealed himself to the police and set in motion extensive investigations. The suspected recruiter went into custody six days ago, his home and car were searched, and his cell phone and PC were confiscated. State officials did not say if any weapons were found on him. It is also still unclear whether the recruiter received orders from Tehran.
In addition, the prosecutors are working flat out to find any accomplices. For example after the man who fired the shots in Essen.
The research is still in its infancy. Only the motive is obvious: hatred of Jews. However, many questions remain: Did the accused actually act on behalf of the mullah regime? Ever since the attack on the La Belle discotheque in Berlin in April 1986, which left three dead and 104 injured, it has been clear that Tehran’s henchmen are active in Germany. In March 2018, for example, local counterintelligence reported that Iranian secret services were working on an attack list of Jewish institutions in Germany should a conflict with Israel arise. After the Tehran-funded terrorist militia Hezbollah 2020 and three extremist groups were banned last year, the Shiite autocrats reacted with massive criticism.
Tenor: The ban is based on the “Zionist propaganda machine.” After vehement allegations by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) of Tehran’s actions against the nationwide protests, the mullah regime threatened openly. “Germany can choose to engage in tackling common challenges – or to confront,” Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian said on Twitter almost two weeks ago. “Our response will be appropriate and resolute.” Damaging historic relationships will have long-term consequences.
It is still too early to link such threats to the anti-Semitic attacks in the Ruhr area. Perhaps the imprisoned German-Iranian acted completely on his own. Perhaps there were no contacts or orders from Tehran. Perhaps the suspect was pursuing his own struggle against the Jewish people in this country. This is supported by the fact that the attacks on the synagogues were carried out extremely unprofessionally. Neither the rabbi’s house nor the old Jewish house of worship in Essen were still used regularly.
The shooter was also photographed by surveillance cameras. The incendiary device in Bochum was placed in the wrong place that night so that it could hardly cause any damage. The further investigations must now prove the actual background of the attacks. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office is constantly informed about further developments.