Horror in Germany: "Heil Hitler" and death threats on the way to the synagogue

A serious and shocking antisemitic incident occurred last Saturday in Berlin: a senior member of the Jewish community in the city was attacked and threatened with murder on his way to the synagogue. According to reports, two men accosted him with harsh insults, and one of them repeatedly performed a Nazi salute and shouted "Heil Hitler". The local police were called to the scene and arrested the main suspect in the act.

Shlomo Afensav, a member of the Jewish community in Berlin, described the drama in a post on the X network:

"Such images are shocking. Antisemitism is not a memory from the past - it is a reality of the present. The fact that Jews, precisely in Germany, must again fear for their safety on the way to the synagogue is deeply painful. History obligates us not to look away, not to soften, and not to remain silent. Jew-hatred will never again become routine."

The difficult incident in Berlin is not an isolated case, but part of an alarming global trend. As recently published in a report by the "J7" organization, the year 2025 was defined as the deadliest year for Diaspora Jews in more than 30 years, with an alarming jump of 136% in hate incidents. Germany itself leads in the rate of antisemitic incidents relative to the size of the population, with dozens of cases of severe harassment and violence.

In the Jewish community in Germany and around the world, they warn that the hatred has turned from a temporary wave into a daily and dangerous reality. Community leaders are calling on governments in Europe to stop settling for condemnations, to immediately increase security around synagogues, and to take a hard line, in order to ensure that Jews can walk to the synagogue in full safety and with pride.