Berlin police caution gays and Jews regarding interactions with Arabs
The police chief of Berlin, Barbara Slowik, has urged Jewish and LGBTQ individuals to take precautions when traveling to specific neighborhoods. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Some German residents show “open sympathy for terrorist organizations,” according to Barbara Slowik, the police chief of Berlin. She has urged Jewish individuals and openly LGBTQ people to be cautious when visiting certain neighborhoods with significant Arab populations.
In an interview with the Berliner Zeitung on Monday, Slowik emphasized that there are no defined “no-go zones” in Berlin, asserting that the city is as safe as other German cities and even “safer” than several major cities across Europe.
“However, there are areas, and we must be honest at this stage, where I would advise people who wear a kippah or are openly homosexual or lesbian to be more attentive,” she explained.
“There are, unfortunately, neighborhoods in Berlin with a majority of residents from Arab backgrounds where there is open sympathy for terrorist organizations and very blatant antisemitism,” she added, refraining from naming specific areas to avoid “defaming any groups of people.”
In the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, German authorities have opened more than 6,200 investigations into antisemitic incidents. Slowik mentioned that most of these cases involve hate speech and vandalism rather than instances of violent crime. While violence against Jewish individuals is relatively uncommon, the police chief remarked that every such incident “is one too many.”
“Of the 1,300 investigations regarding violent crimes, it is mostly about attacks or resistance against police officers at demonstrations,” Slowik noted. However, she acknowledged that the Jewish-Israeli community in Berlin “perceives the total number of antisemitic crimes, which raises their fear of becoming targets of attacks.”
When questioned about the inability to simply ban pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli rallies, Slowik asserted that the freedom of assembly is fundamental to Germany’s democracy.
“A ban is not a panacea and not a permanent solution,” she said, contending that even if such gatherings were prohibited, those who might commit antisemitic violence would still be present in Berlin, just out of sight.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
In an interview with the Berliner Zeitung on Monday, Slowik emphasized that there are no defined “no-go zones” in Berlin, asserting that the city is as safe as other German cities and even “safer” than several major cities across Europe.
“However, there are areas, and we must be honest at this stage, where I would advise people who wear a kippah or are openly homosexual or lesbian to be more attentive,” she explained.
“There are, unfortunately, neighborhoods in Berlin with a majority of residents from Arab backgrounds where there is open sympathy for terrorist organizations and very blatant antisemitism,” she added, refraining from naming specific areas to avoid “defaming any groups of people.”
In the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, German authorities have opened more than 6,200 investigations into antisemitic incidents. Slowik mentioned that most of these cases involve hate speech and vandalism rather than instances of violent crime. While violence against Jewish individuals is relatively uncommon, the police chief remarked that every such incident “is one too many.”
“Of the 1,300 investigations regarding violent crimes, it is mostly about attacks or resistance against police officers at demonstrations,” Slowik noted. However, she acknowledged that the Jewish-Israeli community in Berlin “perceives the total number of antisemitic crimes, which raises their fear of becoming targets of attacks.”
When questioned about the inability to simply ban pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli rallies, Slowik asserted that the freedom of assembly is fundamental to Germany’s democracy.
“A ban is not a panacea and not a permanent solution,” she said, contending that even if such gatherings were prohibited, those who might commit antisemitic violence would still be present in Berlin, just out of sight.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
