Can Germany be neutral when it comes to the Gaza war?

Antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks are on the rise in Germany, according to human rights groups and organisations tracking discriminatory attacks across the country.

Germany has one of the largest Palestinian communities in Europe; a country that still carries the weight of the Holocaust.

According to RIAS, the 'Department for Research and Information on Antisemitism' in Germany, reports of antisemitic threats increased by more than 300 per cent in the month following the 7 October attacks.

Ita, a mother of five, whose synagogue was hit by Molotov cocktails shortly after the war started, told Euronews that the Jewish community is on high alert: “We don't need empathy, we don't need therapy, we need security measures”. 

The Muslim community also observed a similar trend. Germany has the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe, but community leaders argue that many alleged Islamophobic attacks go unreported.

Jian Omar is a member of Berlin's parliament, he explained that he has been subject to attacks because of his Kurdish-Syrian heritage; he claimed threats have increased since 7 October.

“There are right-wing groups that are taking action against Muslims, and against migration as a whole. Some victims have the impression that attacks on Muslims often don’t receive public attention, and as a result, part of the Arab community distrusts the state.”

Pro-Palestinian rallies were banned for approximately one month after the war began. Muslim countries have accused Germany of silencing pro-Palestinian voices. Today activists argue freedom of expression is at stake.

“We have been discriminated against by the German Government, criminalised by the police.” says a Palestinian activist during a rally.

Germany’s support of