Antisemitic threats against the Jewish community in Munich have intensified in recent months, prompting concern among community leaders who say intimidation has become a constant part of daily life in Bavaria’s capital.
Yehoshua Hamiel, deputy president of Munich’s Jewish community, said the latest incidents reflect a troubling escalation rather than an isolated case. Speaking in an interview with ynet, Hamiel said the community has grown accustomed to threats, a reality he described as deeply alarming.
“The police here take this very seriously,” Hamiel said. “But we are already used to threats, and that is the problem.”
German authorities confirmed that a threatening letter was recently sent to a Jewish institution in Munich, part of a broader pattern of harassment directed at Jewish organizations across Germany. The letter, which was delivered through regular mail, contained explicit violent language targeting Jews. The case is under investigation by Bavaria’s state security unit.
According to Hamiel, all incoming mail to Jewish institutions in Munich is routinely screened, a precaution that has been in place for more than two decades. “For us, this level of vigilance has become normal,” he said. “That is not something any community should have to accept.”
Hamiel said the Munich Jewish community records more than 150 antisemitic incidents each year, ranging from threatening messages to verbal abuse. He noted that while such threats have increased worldwide since October 7, 2023, they did not begin then and have never fully disappeared.
Asked whether the latest incident represents a turning point, Hamiel said the severity has increased, even if the phenomenon itself is familiar. “We receive many threats, but the language has become more explicit and more violent,” he said.
Despite the rise in intimidation, Hamiel praised cooperation with local police and security services, describing it as close and professional. Bavarian authorities have said there is currently no indication of an immediate danger, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Security remains a constant presence at Jewish institutions throughout Munich. Hamiel said there has not been a single day he can recall without police or guards stationed at the entrances to synagogues, schools, kindergartens and community buildings.
“This is the reality our children grow up with,” he said. “They do not know anything else.”
When asked whether the persistent threats prompt thoughts of immigration to Israel, Hamiel rejected the idea that emigration alone is a solution. He stressed the mutual dependence between Israel and Jewish communities abroad.
“Israel needs the diaspora just as much as the diaspora needs Israel,” he said. “This is not a one-way relationship, and it cannot be solved by everyone leaving. Only together can we confront the wave of antisemitism we are seeing now.”
Hamiel warned that the greatest danger lies not only in individual threats, but in society becoming desensitized to them. “When threats against Jews become routine, something is deeply wrong,” he said.