Vicious antisemitic attack in Germany: 'Not surprised Hitler gassed you!'
In the video the man can be seen approaching the synagogue's community leader several times in a threatening way, while holding an object.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFThe synagogue where the attack took place in Freiburg, Germany(photo credit: WIKIPEDIA)
An antisemitic attack took place in front of a synagogue in Freiburg, Germany, earlier in July, in which a man viciously cursed and threatened the synagogue's community leader, according to German daily Bild, which obtained camera footage of the incident.Ahead of the morning prayers on the Sabbath on July 13, the man approached the 62-year old Irina Katz, who was welcoming congregants to the synagogue, and began shouting "Away with you! Otherwise I'll beat you dead, you whore! Away! Away!"In the video the man can be seen approaching Katz several times in a threatening way, while holding an object. One person exited the synagogue to intervene and threatened to call the police, to which the man responded by saying that he had called the police already before threatening to beat the younger congregant to death as well.He further yelled "Are we in Germany or in Jew-land?" and "I'm not surprised Hitler gassed you! Nowhere can you say anything here."Police arrived to the synagogue after 15 minutes, according to Bild, and later that day located the 61-year old perpetrator. They told the paper that the man has contacts to the "homeless scene" and that he was checked into a mental hospital the same day.Katz told Bild that she likely suffered from shock from the attack, and that she was frightened by people telling her that she had acted wrongly by remaining in place, that she should have instead retreated into the building for her safety.Passersby did not intervene or help while Katz was continuously cursed and threatened.Katz also said that attacks on the synagogue had increased lately, including attempts at arson, vandalism and throwing of beer cans. Jews in the city live in fear, she added, and 'Jew' has become a curse word on school yards."During winter, they don't want to come to the community center in the dark, so we hold events earlier. They want to receive letters in neutral envelopes, without any Jewish symbols on them. Kids are being cursed in schools," Katz said.She said that incidents were always reported to the police, but that investigations hadn't led anywhere.
"I don't know why they don't want to give us any protection. Apparently the threat is not big enough and there aren't enough police staff in Freiburg," she lamented.The police reacted by saying that "risk forecasts are prepared for all announced events and the necessary protective measures are planned. In addition, community facilities are also protected around the clock by appropriate measures."The city of Freiburg is part of the Baden-Württemberg state, whose antisemitism commissioner Michael Blume has made headlines in the past for attacking a Jewish activist who fights antisemitism and the BDS movement, comparing her to Adolf Eichmann.The activist, Malca Goldstein-Wolf, told The Jerusalem Post in March that "an antisemitism commissioner should focus on fighting hatred of Jews. Michael Blume, on the other hand, organizes an event with the organization Juma (Young Muslim and Active), founded by the radical Imam Mohamed Matar, whose NBS [Berlin-based] mosque was observed by Berlin’s domestic intelligence agency.” “The social democrat and ‘Israeli critic’ Mohamed Ibrahim, who is a member of Juma, wore a ‘boycott Israel’ shirt and was at a demonstration side by side with the enemies of Jews," she added. “How can one fight antisemitism and work with organizations such as Juma?” Goldstein-Wolf asked.In light of the controversy, the Simon Wiesenthal Center called for Blume's resignation, saying that he should “first tender his resignation and then apologize to Ms. Goldstein-Wolf.”
