The war in the Middle East also has an impact on the security situation in Germany. Green Party politician von Notz warns that “other protagonists” could take advantage of this. He apparently also has Russia in mind.
Green Party politician Konstantin von Notz has expressed concern about the security situation in Germany in light of the war in Israel following the Hamas attack. The security situation, which was already “quite tense” due to, among other things, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, has “aggravated significantly due to the latest developments,” the chairman of the Parliamentary Control Committee told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
Today, several responsible authorities will answer questions from the Bundestag committee responsible for intelligence control in a public hearing – including the presidents of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Intelligence Service and the Federal Office for the Military Counterintelligence Service. The security situation in Germany as a result of the Hamas attack on Israel is likely to be one of the central issues. In addition, it will probably also be about Russian activities with which the Kremlin is trying to exert influence in Germany.
Attempts to promote democracy destabilize
“We have to be extremely careful that the current situation is not exploited by other protagonists who threaten our security,” said von Notz. He is thinking of the intelligence services of other countries, which “have been trying to deliberately destabilize our democracy for a long time.” But “organized right-wing extremism and terrorism” is also a danger.
Von Notz again called for institutions such as the Islamic Center in Hamburg (IZH) to be closed. The IZH, which has been monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution for decades, is considered an extension of the Iranian regime, which congratulated the terrorist organization Hamas on its attack on Israel on Saturday and described it as a “turning point in the continuation of armed resistance.”
Ambassador warns about “Gaza in Germany”
Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, warned against allowing a kind of Gaza to emerge on German soil. This threatens if groups like Samidoun and other Hamas supporters continue to abuse German democracy, he said together Morning magazine from ARD and ZDF. Members of Samidoun and their sympathizers celebrated Hamas’ attacks on Israel on the streets in Berlin and other German cities.
Germany should no longer allow Stars of David to be sprayed on Jews’ houses in Berlin, for example, so that many Jews no longer dare to go out on the streets. With regard to the current situation in Israel, Prosor added that it was clear “that the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip must be freed from Hamas.” Despite all its efforts, Israel cannot guarantee the protection of the innocent civilian population as long as Hamas uses these people as shields.
Small for change at Sedition paragraphs
Politicians also once again called for tougher action against anti-Semitic agitators in Germany. The CDU vice-chairwoman Karin Prien said: “We have to take away their resonance rooms, close their mosques, their cafés and clubs and confiscate the money that would otherwise be used for terror in the world.” Prien, who is spokeswoman for the CDU’s Jewish Forum, wrote in an article for the “Bild” newspaper that the legal consequences of supporting terror and anti-Semitism must be tightened in all areas. She didn’t get any more specific.
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt called for “a tough course against Jew and Israel haters with consistency and severity.” This includes that there should no longer be any asylum or other protection status without a commitment to Israel’s right to exist.
Özdemir: “Where are ours Mass rallies?“
The Federal Government’s Anti-Semitism Commissioner, Felix Klein, suggested that the criminal offense of incitement to hatred be made more stringent. According to Klein in the Funke newspapers, the sedition paragraph should be applied in the future without having to establish that there has been a disturbance to the public peace, as was the case previously. In practice, there are often difficulties in applying the previous regulations. “In the past, there have been many discontinuations of investigations that were met with a lack of understanding among those affected and the public.”
Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir appealed to citizens in Germany to do more to combat anti-Semitism. “Why do Jews always have to remember what is happening? Why can’t even the majority of society do it? Where are our mass rallies?” the Green politician told “Bild”.