Germany recorded a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents in the first three months of 2025, with the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) reporting 1,047 cases, including 27 violent acts and 422 instances of incitement to hatred. The crimes ranged from property vandalism and verbal abuse to physical assaults, some life-threatening.
By June, authorities identified 470 suspects, arrested seven and issued one arrest warrant. The BKA attributed most incidents to political motives, primarily linked to far-right extremists. “Antisemitism risks becoming a new normal,” warned Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, urging authorities to act decisively beyond “empty solidarity statements.”
Analysis revealed 554 cases tied to far-right ideologies, including 11 violent acts, while 267 were linked to foreign ideologies, including Islamist motives, with six violent incidents. Another 145 cases stemmed from religious motivations, five of which were violent and 15 were connected to radical left groups, with the remainder categorized as “other.”
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The surge aligns with a broader trend since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, with 6,560 antisemitic incidents reported in 2024, including 1,488 violent cases, a 20% rise year-on-year.
Clara Bünger, a Bundestag member from the Left Party, expressed concern over the trend but cautioned against framing antisemitism as solely an “imported” issue. “We need real investment in education, victim protection and tackling all forms of antisemitism, including its local and historical roots,” she said.
The data underscores Germany’s ongoing struggle with rising antisemitic activity, prompting calls for robust measures to counter the growing threat to Jewish communities.