Jewish residents in the German city of Munich have been advised to cover up signs of their religion or symbols representing Israel, amid fears of reprisals due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
In a newsletter published earlier this week, the Jewish Community of Munich offered safety tips to its members in the wake of the violent flare-up in the Middle East, going as far as to suggest covering up any evidence of their Judaism.
“Be attentive, behave inconspicuously and avoid pro-Palestinian demonstrations and the public display of Israeli and Jewish symbols,” the organization said, as cited by German newspaper Bild.
German officials have been vocal in their support for Israel since a deadly attack last weekend by Hamas, the Palestinian armed group that governs Gaza.
On Thursday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the federal government would prohibit any public displays of support for Hamas. The ban will also cover any fundraising efforts for the group, as well as online posts praising its actions.
“At this moment there is only one place for Germany: standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel,” Scholz said.
Police have banned several pro-Palestinian rallies this week due to fears of violence, including one action planned at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on Friday. Some demonstrations have gone ahead regardless, prompting officers to break up the events, with one resulting in three arrests in the German capital.
Following a rally in Munich on Monday, the local authorities vowed to ban similar protests going forward, with Mayor Dieter Reiter saying the organizers behind the “unspeakable Palestine demonstration” were even being “investigated criminally.”
However, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser later noted that some protests would be allowed to go ahead on an individual basis, saying “It may also be the case that you have to approve one or another meeting on the weekend. That’s how it is in a constitutional state.”
“In Germany everyone is allowed to express their opinions freely and demonstrate peacefully,” the official added, but stressed that there would be zero tolerance for “anti-Semitic and anti-Israel incitement.”
Fears of reprisals against Jews have cropped up elsewhere in Europe, with multiple Jewish schools in London calling off classes over similar concerns. The French government has taken a stricter approach, declaring a full ban on all “pro-Palestinian demonstrations” as they are “likely to generate disturbances to the public order,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a missive to French police.