2023-06-29 21:16:47
A group of young people attacked Jewish visitors in front of the Holocaust memorial at the Grossmarkthalle in Frankfurt on Thursday. First, the visitors were verbally intimidated, then someone threw a bottle that just missed a visitor’s head, the city said. According to the police, the bottle thrower shouted “Allahu Akbar”. He threw the bottle straight up into the air, it hit the ground right next to the woman, which made her feel threatened. A city employee rebuked the youth, then apologized to the woman. Then the youngsters left. The city of Frankfurt filed a complaint, according to the police, state security is investigating attempted serious bodily harm.
The 25 international guests came to the memorial with a municipal visitor program for children and grandchildren of Jews who were born in Frankfurt and were persecuted. It commemorates the deportation of Frankfurt Jews during the National Socialist period.
Mayor Mike Josef (SPD) was horrified: “This is completely unacceptable.” The incident proves that the “fight against anti-Semitism and racism is an ongoing one”, “unfortunately also in our city”.
“Frankfurt is different from these young people”
Marc Grünbaum, head of the Frankfurt Jewish Community, spoke of “hatred of Jews as recognizable visitors to our city”. Although some of the young people apologized after the attack, the incident cannot simply be filed away. The Jewish community offers the attackers the opportunity to talk so that they can understand the scope of their actions. “Frankfurt is different than these young people showed today,” said Grünbaum. But society must do everything it can to keep it that way.
Theresa Weiß Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 6 Theresa Weiß Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 21 Theresa Weiß Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 8
The Hessian Anti-Semitism Commissioner Uwe Becker (CDU) also said: “It is particularly bad and shameful that people whose families suffered terrible injustice in Frankfurt during the National Socialist era were attacked in this place of all places.” He condemned the lack of restraint , with which the youths would have insulted and attacked the Jewish visitors, in the strongest terms. He welcomes the city’s “quick and clear” response and hopes that the perpetrator will be “quickly caught”.
Eileen O’Sullivan (Volt), head of the department responsible for the Jewish visitor program, was shocked: “The incident will certainly push the positive memories of Frankfurt into the background. In addition, this is certainly not representative of Frankfurt. We were not able to live up to our self-image and our self-commitment that all guests should feel safe and comfortable when participating.” She asked for the solidarity of the city society with its Jewish guests.
As the city also announced, statements of solidarity can be sent to the email address [email protected] or published on social media under the hashtag #DasIstNachtFrankfurt. They are to be given to Jewish visitors when they leave next Tuesday.
#Attack #Jews #memorial #Frankfurt