A German court on Thursday sentenced a Palestinian student, identified as Mustafa A., to three years in prison for the antisemitic assault of Lahav Shapira, the grandson of Amitzur Shapira—one of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The attack took place late at night in early February 2024 in Berlin and was found by the court to have been motivated by antisemitism. Mustafa punched Lahav Shapira and kicked him while he was lying on the ground. As a result, Shapira suffered severe facial fractures, a brain hemorrhage, and significant eye damage. He underwent several surgeries and was unable to eat solid food for a month.
The two had known each other from a teacher-training program, where Shapira managed an internal WhatsApp group. Shapira claimed that he had removed dozens of group members for posting antisemitic content and had asked students to avoid sharing such material. Mustafa argued that Shapira had treated him unfairly.
The physical altercation occurred outside a bar, where Mustafa accused Shapira of tearing down pro-Palestinian posters. Shapira responded that the posters included slogans calling for Israel’s destruction and referred to the October 7 massacre by Hamas as a “freedom operation.” Mustafa later claimed in court that he had lost control in an emotional outburst, denying any political or antisemitic intent.
However, video evidence contradicted that claim. A video found on Mustafa’s phone the day after the attack showed a friend saying, “Mosti beat the shit out of that Jewish son of a bitch,” a statement the court considered key in determining the antisemitic nature of the crime.
Mustafa’s lawyer said his client expressed remorse, had previously attempted suicide, and had since dropped out of his studies. A preliminary compensation payment of €5,500 was offered to the prosecution but was rejected. The judges questioned the sincerity of Mustafa’s remorse, noting that his official statement included hobbies such as reading and football—but failed to mention his training in kickboxing.
During the trial, Shapira testified that the university campus had become increasingly hostile toward him following the October 7 attacks, with flyers labeling him a “Zionist” and “devil.” He said he now moves around campus with a bodyguard and has faced harassment due to his activism against antisemitism.
Although prosecutors requested a 28-month prison term, the court imposed a harsher sentence of 36 months, citing the clear antisemitic hatred behind the attack and the defendant's lack of genuine remorse.
<< Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv >>
This is not the first time Lahav Shapira has been targeted in Germany due to his Jewish identity. In 2010, as a teenager in the town of Laucha, he was assaulted by a neo-Nazi who shouted “Jewish pig,” punched him below the eye, knocked him to the ground, and kicked him in the head. Friends attempted to intervene but were unsuccessful until a passerby stepped in and stopped the attack.
Speaking after the February assault, Lahav's mother, Tzipi Lev, said: “My son was labeled a Zionist. He did a lot of work against antisemitism and for Israel and the hostages. It’s outrageous to be attacked for fighting racism and hate. The law needs to change so that the punishment is severe enough to make people think twice.”
She recalled that Lahav had been at a bar with his girlfriend when she noticed someone watching them. Lahav recognized the man as a university acquaintance who had attended pro-Palestinian protests. When they left the bar, the man—Mustafa—suddenly launched a violent assault, yelling at Shapira: “Why are you hanging up posters of the hostages?”
“He was full of hate,” Lev said. “We won’t be silent about this. We already have a bloody history here, but I’m not afraid. I raised my sons to be proud of their Judaism and their Israeli identity. If we start to fear, we lose our right to exist.”