In view of the high number of antisemitic crimes in Bavaria, the antisemitism commissioner and the state parliament Greens are calling for better educational work. The number of antisemitic crimes registered by the police increased dramatically last year to 538, said the Bavarian antisemitism commissioner Ludwig Spaenle (CSU) on Sunday. The number has risen significantly since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th.
“There is a great need for action here. “For educational work and the possible prevention work, but also for the defensive constitutional state – especially for law enforcement and the judiciary,” demanded Spaenle. According to him, there were 218 crimes of this type in the fourth quarter alone – from October to December.
The state parliamentary Greens are also sounding the alarm about the high number of antisemitic crimes in the Free State. “Almost not a day goes by in Bavaria without an antisemitic crime. “That’s frightening,” said state parliamentary group leader Katharina Schulze. According to Interior Ministry figures, there were 358 crimes in 2022, and the police registered 510 in 2021.
“It must not be the case that Jews no longer feel safe,” said Schulze. The state government must act more decisively. “One of the main tasks is to invest and make our schools and all other places of education fit and strengthen them when it comes to taking decisive action against radical ideas,” said the Green politician and emphasized: “Antisemitism is not innate. It is the task of politics and society to protect our children from enemy images, right-wing extremist ideologies and hatred. »
Cemal Bozoglu, spokesman for the Green parliamentary group for strategies against right-wing extremism, warned: “Every antisemitic criminal and violent act is one too many.” He also called for a reform in the recording and documentation of antisemitic incidents and crimes “in order to better reflect the true extent of the problem.” The state security authorities would also have to present what civil society bodies have already done: “a detailed situation report for Bavaria. The different forms and ideological motivations of antisemitism must be adequately recorded.”
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the Bavarian Antisemitism Research and Information Center (RIAS Bavaria) became aware of 423 antisemitic incidents in 2022. Of these, 225 antisemitic incidents were classified as not being criminally relevant under existing legislation.
