Whilst Berlin is set to see its first clearly anti-Semitic state government, led by the Left Party – whose relentless agitation against Israel even secured its election victory – hatred of Jews continues to rage with increasing brutality across the rest of the country. In Düsseldorf, a 35-year-old man wearing a kippah and a jumper bearing the emblem of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), who was out for a walk with his girlfriend along the banks of the Rhine, was initially subjected to anti-Israel abuse by two women, before two men joined in and began punching and kicking him. He sustained minor injuries as a result. Three witnesses attempted to intervene, one of whom was struck and suffered minor injuries.
The four perpetrators managed to escape unidentified; the State Security Service is investigating on suspicion of a politically motivated offence. According to the police, the two attackers were believed to be around 20 years old and – like one of the women – of “North African appearance”. The Jewish Community of Düsseldorf called for a “thorough and complete investigation” into the incident. Those responsible must be prosecuted. Furthermore, “an unequivocal response from society as a whole to this incident” is needed.
On Thursday evening, the Jewish Community called for a vigil on the Mannesmannufer. It is typical of these communities that they do not understand, or refuse to acknowledge, that anti-Semitism has long since become so deeply ingrained in society – due to the mass migration of millions of Muslims, the anti-Israel rhetoric of the Left and the CDU’s usual failure to act – that no counter-reaction can be expected. The number of participants at the vigil will also remain more than modest. Even many who would actually like to take part no longer dare to do so, because one must always and everywhere expect such attacks from people with a ‘North African phenotype’.