On Wednesday, a synagogue in Berlin, Germany fell victim to a firebomb attack, while rioters in Tunisia razed the historic El Hamma synagogue. These incidents arrive as tensions surrounding Hamas’ October 7 assault on Israel, followed by Israel’s Gaza siege, reach boiling point. The molotov cocktail attack on the Kahal Adass Jisroel synagogue in Berlin’s central district was perpetrated by two unidentified individuals.
No casualties resulted from the attack, but it amplified a palpable undertone of fear and shock in German Jewish communities. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lambasted the assault and pledged protection for Germany’s Jewish communities, adding that antisemitism has no place in the country. He further emphasized that Germany’s Holocaust history invokes an increased vigilance against antisemitic violence.
Meanwhile, social media platforms circulated a video exhibiting rioters setting the historic El Hamma synagogue in Tunisia aflame. The synagogue, though no longer active, held significant symbolic value for Tunisian Jews. The local media reported the incident briefly while Jewish publications made efforts to raise awareness. These news reports follow the disturbing events of a May shooting at a different synagogue in Tunis, Africa’s oldest.
Jews have resided in Tunisia for over 2,000 years and before Israel’s founding in 1948, they numbered over 100,000. However, antisemitic violence coupled with migration to Israel has since reduced Tunisia’s Jewish population to an approximate 1,500.
These incidents closely succeed an incendiary explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, initially attributed to an Israeli air raid. Arab States continue this attribution despite subsequent disputes from both US and European officials who claim intelligence reports revealing a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as the source of the explosion.
The escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas has inflamed antisemitic, Islamophobic, and dehumanizing rhetoric worldwide and has ushered in numerous hate crimes. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the perpetuation of such hateful discourse and actions and called on leaders to decry Antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, and all forms of hate speech.
Threats towards both Jewish and Muslim communities in the US have seen a significant rise, according to the FBI. These threats are not idle, as seen in the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, in Chicago. The Jewish Federations of North America condemned the incident, asserting that society has no place for hatred, prejudice, and violence.
Further information about the increasing violence against Jewish communities can be found on JURIST news.