Germany sees rise in far-right crime and online hate, partly linked to Gaza war

Report finds 33,963 registered cases of right-wing politically motivated crime in first 11 months of 2024, mostly online offenses and hate speech

People walk on a 'funeral march' and hold a flag with the German colors during a commemoration organized by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party at the cathedral square after the Christmas market car-ramming attack in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, on December 23, 2024. (RALF HIRSCHBERGER / AFP)
People walk on a 'funeral march' and hold a flag with the German colors during a commemoration organized by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party at the cathedral square after the Christmas market car-ramming attack in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, on December 23, 2024. (RALF HIRSCHBERGER / AFP)

Germany saw a jump in cases of crime attributed to the far-right in 2024, driven largely by online offenses and hate speech, a government spokesperson said on Monday.

Up to November 30, there were 33,963 registered cases of right-wing politically motivated crime, the spokesperson said, citing the most current data for last year. This compared with 28,945 such cases during the whole of 2023.

“At this point in time, we can already say that there has been an increase in online offences in particular, especially so-called expression and propaganda offences,” the spokesperson told a press conference in Berlin.

This was due in part to a greater focus by authorities on this form of criminal activity in recent years, he added, describing the figures as nonetheless “alarming.”

Of the cases registered during the 11-month period of 2024, 1,136 were violent incidents, compared with 1,270 during the whole of 2023, according to the data.

The German government has repeatedly warned of an uptick in politically motivated crimes linked to tensions over the war in Gaza.

A supporter displays a placard reading, ‘A blue wave rolls over Germany – then the old parties can finally experience their blue miracle’ during a rally of the far-right Alternative for Germany party in Cottbus, Germany, on September 19, 2024. (Photo by RALF HIRSCHBERGER / AFP)

A report published in June tallied 39,433 crimes with an extremist background in the country in 2023, nearly 4,000 more than in 2022, and highlighted “the impact that Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel October 7, 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza have had on the security situation in Germany.”

Some 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led onslaught on southern Israel and 251 were taken hostage. The attack sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, which has escalated into a larger Middle East conflict.

Various extremist actors have used the conflict to call for hatred and violence against Jews or the State of Israel or to deny its right to exist, the report said, adding that Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions are at ever greater risk. It also noted that German right-wing extremists are using the current tensions to agitate against Muslims and migrants.

People take part in an anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian rally in Berlin, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/ Ebrahim Noroozi)

“Antisemitism and hostility towards Israel often appear as connecting elements” between a wide range of agitators, including Islamist movements, Palestinian activists and Turkish and German extremists on both the right and the left, the report said.

The report came out shortly after German far-right candidates had a strong showing in European Parliament elections, alarming many German Jews. French and Italian far-right parties likewise gained seats in the European Union legislative body.

Germany is now gearing up for federal elections next month, in which the far-right is polling strongly, buoyed by concerns over security and migration.

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