Police vehicle at synagogue in Bonn, Germany. Photo courtesy Deutsche Welle.
Amid Israel’s heightened tensions two synagogues and a memorial site have been vandalized in Germany. Lawmakers and religious leaders said the acts were “shameful” and called for greater protection for places of worship.
All three incidents occurred Tuesday night in the cities of Bonn, Düsseldorf and Münster in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The incidents were reportedly motivated by the current violence in Israel and Gaza.
German broadcaster RTL reported a march by Palestine supporters outside a synagogue in Gelsenirchen also in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia Wednesday night which included the shouting of anti-Semitic slogans.RTL also reported a pro-Palestinian march in Hamburg. They reported increased security around synagogues in Germany and mentioned the city of Hesse in particular.