German prosecutors are investigating an alleged attempted murder with a suspected anti-Israel motive after a 65-year-old man wearing an Israeli flag pin was severely beaten in southern Germany, authorities said.
The attack occurred overnight Monday in Höchberg, a market town near Würzburg in Bavaria.
According to local police, the victim, a member of the Germany-Israel Friendship Association, was standing beside a young Syrian man at a traffic light when the suspect noticed the Israeli flag pin on his clothing and asked about it, initiating a conversation about the Middle East.
Before the victim could respond, the suspect allegedly punched him in the face.
Police said the victim attempted to flee, but the attacker chased him, knocked him to the ground and repeatedly kicked him in the head and upper body. The assault ended only after police arrived at the scene.
The victim, whose nationality and religion have not been publicly confirmed, suffered a fractured vertebra and remained hospitalized in intensive care.
The suspect was arrested and remains in custody. According to local prosecutors, the same man had been detained the previous evening at a market in Höchberg after allegedly harassing passersby.
Prosecutors said they are investigating the case as an attempted murder with indications of anti-Israeli violence motivated by Islamist ideology.
The attack comes amid heightened concern over rising antisemitic incidents in Germany since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. German authorities have reported a sharp increase in antisemitic crimes, many linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Volker Beck, president of the Germany-Israel Friendship Association, condemned the attack and argued that increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Israel has contributed to an atmosphere in which such violence occurs.
"Enough is enough," Beck said. "Anyone who demonizes Israel through accusations of genocide and apartheid creates the climate for attacks like this. No one in Germany fears for their personal safety when displaying Palestinian symbols, but anyone wearing an Israeli symbol is no longer safe in public."
Josef Schuster, Volker Beck
(Photo: gettyimages, AP)
Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said the assault reflected a broader rise in antisemitic violence.
"This brutal outbreak of violence did not happen in a vacuum," Schuster said. "All relevant statistics document a record increase in antisemitic incidents, in most cases connected to Israel. The normalization of this hatred paves the way for violent acts like this latest attack."
Martin Heilig, mayor of Würzburg, whose district includes Höchberg, described the assault as an attack on Germany's democratic values.
"When a citizen is attacked simply for wearing an Israeli pin, it is an unacceptable attack on the foundations of our democratic values," Heilig said. "For our city, this is a clear and unequivocal case of antisemitism, hatred and violence that has no place in Würzburg or our district."
Israel's Embassy in Germany also condemned the attack in a post on X. "How many Palestinian flags do you see on an average day in any city? Dozens. You can display them openly everywhere. And that despite the fact that all the antisemites, despots, and terror sympathizers of the world gather behind it," the embassy wrote.
"But a single, tiny Israeli flag puts one in mortal danger. In the year 2026. In Germany. The perpetrators are not interested in any kind of peace. It's not about 'Palestine,' let alone about 'Palestinians.' For the perpetrators, it's about hate. It was an attack on all three: Germany, Israel, and our democratic society."