By: Russ Spencer

The Algemeiner reported on Monday that hundreds of Munich residents formed a human chain around the city’s main synagogue during Shabbat prayers on Friday night, offering a powerful symbol of solidarity with the Jewish community as an anti-Israel protest swept through the city’s center.

The protest, staged under the slogan “Stop the Genocide. Free Palestine,” attracted roughly 750 demonstrators, according to German media cited by The Algemeiner. Protesters marched close to the synagogue located on Jakobsplatz, coinciding with Shabbat services inside — a convergence that sparked palpable concern and disrupted attendance among Jewish worshipers.

According to the information provided in The Algemeiner report, the demonstration featured vitriolic rhetoric, including chants of “Death to the IDF,” “Zionists are fascists, child murderers, and racists,” and calls for the eradication of Israel, stating, “There is only one state: Palestine.” One rally speaker dismissed the suffering of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas as a fabrication, asserting that those captives were “mostly Israeli soldiers” and “war criminals.”

In response, a spontaneous counteraction was organized by local residents and civil society groups. Under the banner “Protect Our Synagogue,” they encircled the synagogue with a human chain, aiming to provide emotional and symbolic security for the congregants within. The Algemeiner report noted that the initiative included groups such as “Munich is Colorful” and “Grandmothers Against the Right,” who have long advocated for tolerance and pluralism in German civic life.

Despite the solidarity shown by local citizens, the protest continued to espouse inflammatory and antisemitic rhetoric. One speaker went so far as to label those forming the human chain “friends of Zionists and fascists,” accusing them of attempting to “buy their freedom” from the crimes of the Nazi era by aligning with Jewish causes. Such language illustrates the ongoing and insidious forms of antisemitism permeating segments of contemporary protest culture in Germany.

Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish Community of Munich and a Holocaust survivor, delivered a forceful condemnation of the demonstration. Speaking to The Algemeiner, she criticized city authorities for allowing the protest to proceed at such a sensitive time and in such a sensitive location. “It was a deliberate attempt at intimidation,” Knobloch asserted. She also expressed deep appreciation for those who stood guard outside the synagogue. “This human chain sends an important message, especially to the city. Once again, they have proven they can be relied upon — they take action when it matters.”

Law enforcement was deployed in significant numbers following concerns over the demonstrators’ proximity to the synagogue. According to the information contained in The Algemeiner report, approximately 150 officers from the Munich Police Department were dispatched to manage the situation and ensure the safety of Jewish residents and religious institutions in the area.

Bernhard Liess, chairman of Munich’s city council, also voiced concern over the protest’s timing and its apparent targeting of the synagogue. He called into question the decision to allow the demonstration to proceed during Shabbat, a day of rest and spiritual significance for Jews. While German law does not require approval for demonstrations — only registration — Liess noted that authorities could have consulted with organizers to relocate or reschedule the protest out of respect for the community’s needs.

This latest incident occurs against a backdrop of intensifying antisemitism across Germany. Since Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel, there has been a sharp and measurable increase in antisemitic violence and intimidation. The Federal Research and Information Center on Antisemitism (RIAS) reported 8,627 antisemitic incidents in 2024 — nearly double the 4,886 recorded in the previous year.

Berlin, in particular, has seen a surge in such incidents. In just the first half of 2024, the city surpassed its total for all of 2023, reaching the highest annual count since the data collection began. This equates to an average of nearly eight antisemitic acts per day in the capital alone. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also tracked a 95 percent increase in antisemitic cases across Germany in 2023, although experts believe the real figures may be significantly higher due to underreporting.

These developments signal a disturbing trend that has alarmed Jewish leaders, civil rights organizations, and lawmakers alike. The Algemeiner report indicated that while the human chain around the synagogue in Munich was a powerful act of community defense, it is also a stark reminder that antisemitism in Germany is not merely a historical issue — it is a growing and immediate threat that demands urgent, sustained, and united response.