Arrest warrant for planned attack on Israel’s embassy
Published: Sunday, Oct 20th 2024, 18:40
العودة إلى البث المباشر
A suspected supporter of the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) has been remanded in custody for a planned attack on the Israeli embassy. An investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe has issued an arrest warrant for the Libyan, a spokeswoman for the Federal Public Prosecutor General told the German Press Agency. According to the investigation, the man wanted to attack the embassy with firearms.
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) spoke of a "cowardly attack plan" that had been prevented. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser pointed out the high terror threat in Germany and emphasized the importance of protecting Jewish and Israeli institutions. "We are acting with the utmost vigilance and attention in view of the high level of threat posed by Islamist, anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli violence," said the SPD politician.
The case has reignited the debate on measures to protect against terrorism in Germany. Politicians from the CDU and the Greens have called for more funding for the security authorities. The SPD called on the CDU/CSU to abandon its rejection of the so-called security package of the coalition government.
Arrest in Bernau near Berlin
The Libyan suspect was arrested on Saturday in Bernau near Berlin. According to the federal prosecutor's office, he had exchanged information with an IS member in a messenger chat to plan the attack. His apartment and another apartment belonging to a person not suspected of the crime in the Rhine-Sieg district of North Rhine-Westphalia were then searched. The man was then brought before the investigating judge on Sunday.
Suspect's asylum application rejected
According to the German Press Agency, the suspect is a rejected asylum seeker. According to "Bild", he is said to be 28 years old and to have entered Germany in November 2022. He applied for asylum in January 2023, which was rejected eight months later. He is said not to have appealed against this rejection.
There is no general nationwide ban on deportation for Libya. However, if an asylum seeker does not leave voluntarily, deportation is considered difficult because there are only partially functioning state structures in the North African country.
Ambassador blames "Muslim anti-Semitism"
Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor thanked the German security authorities and deplored "Muslim anti-Semitism" in Germany and elsewhere. This is "not limited to hateful rhetoric, but promotes global terrorism", he told dpa. The employees of the Israeli embassy are particularly at risk because they are on the front line of diplomacy.
Since the attack by Islamist terrorists on Israel on October 7, 2023 and the start of the Gaza war, there has been a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Germany. At the beginning of September, there was already an exchange of gunfire between an 18-year-old Austrian and the police near the Israeli Consulate General in Munich. In this case too, investigators assume that the gunman who was killed was attempting a terrorist attack.
Tip came from foreign intelligence service
In the current case, the tip-off about the Libyan is said to have come from a foreign intelligence service. How specific the suspect's plans were will probably only be known once the items found during the searches have been evaluated. The security authorities acted quickly in this case and in a number of similar cases in the recent past.
The security precautions at Jewish and Israeli institutions in Berlin were initially not tightened any further. The police pointed out that they are already high. More than 160 properties are currently being guarded, said spokeswoman Beate Ostertag. A "maximum high level" generally applies to the Israeli embassy. The situation has not changed as a result of the arrest. However, the Berlin police are constantly reassessing the situation and are in contact with national and international authorities.
Bushman speaks of "very serious" terror threat
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) warned of a "very serious" terrorist threat in Germany. We will continue to "do everything we can to ensure that the dangerous plans of Israel-haters and anti-Semites do not come to fruition", he told dpa.
Konstantin von Notz, deputy leader of the Green parliamentary group, called for more money and personnel for the security authorities in the German newspaper "Welt". "In view of the current challenges, we need to talk about massively strengthening our intelligence services in terms of funding, personnel and technology. A turning point is also needed here."
CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter expressed similar views. "It would be important to close capability gaps and change legal regulations in order to enable up-to-date reconnaissance and reduce dependencies on partner services," he told the "Tagesspiegel" newspaper. He considered the current "security package" of the traffic light government to be ineffective in the case of concrete attack plans.
Scholz urges approval of the "security package"
Chancellor Scholz, on the other hand, called on the CDU/CSU to approve the package in the Bundesrat. This would strengthen the security authorities. "It is important that the Bundesrat now quickly approves the outstanding points," he wrote on Platform X.
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