A suspected supporter of Islamic State who intended to carry out an attack with firearms on the Israeli embassy in Berlin has been arrested, the Public Prosecutor General of Germany announced on Sunday.
The suspect, a Libyan citizen who was only identified as “Omar A” in official statements and media, was accused by Germany of supporting the terrorist ideology of ISIS, and in order to plan and carry out the attack, he exchanged information with a member of ISIS in a Messenger chat online.
The man was detained on Saturday in Bernau, a locality outside of Berlin, Euronews reported.
The prosecutor general said he will be brought before the investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice on Monday. The judge will disclose the arrest warrant to him and decide on his pre-trial detention.
Ambassador @Ron_Prosor: “Muslim antisemitism is no longer just hate rhetoric; it leads to and encourages terrorist activities worldwide. This is yet another example of Israeli embassies being on the front line of the diplomatic battlefield. I would like to commend the German law…
— Botschaft Israel (@IsraelinGermany) October 19, 2024
German tabloid Bild wrote that the suspect allegedly wanted to flee first to his uncle’s apartment in the area and then flee the country after completing the attack.
The uncle is being treated not as a suspect but as a witness, and it is unclear whether he knew about his nephew’s attack, Bild said.
Ambassador, officials speak out
Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor wrote on X/Twitter, “Muslim antisemitism is no longer just hate rhetoric; it leads to and encourages terrorist activities worldwide. This is yet another example of Israeli embassies being on the front line of the diplomatic battlefield.”
“I would like to commend the German law enforcement authorities for their intensive efforts to ensure the safety of the official representatives of the State of Israel,” Prosor stated.
Unsere Sicherheitsbehörden haben rechtzeitig zugeschlagen, um mögliche Anschlagspläne auf die israelische Botschaft in Berlin zu vereiteln. Das zeigt: Der Schutz jüdischer und israelischer Einrichtungen in unserem Land ist lebenswichtig und hat höchste Bedeutung für uns. https://t.co/rAmZ8z7i1H
— Nancy Faeser (@NancyFaeser) October 20, 2024
Nancy Faeser, federal minister of the interior and community, wrote on X, “Our security authorities acted in time to thwart possible plans to attack the Israeli embassy in Berlin.”