
Thursday 16, November
Major raid against Islamists sees five properties searched in Berlin
The operation began at 6am on Thursday 16, November and involved 160 police officers across the capital as part of a nationwide action against Islamist cells in Germany.
The properties targeted in Berlin included a cultural centre in Neukölln, a business complex in Zehlendorf, as well as raids on locations in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Tempelhof. The main target of this police operation is not based in Berlin, but follows an investigations into the Islamic Center Hamburg (IHZ) – although the exact nature of the charges remain rather vague.
Berlin’s Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) spoke on Thursday morning, commenting that: “The association is suspected of going against the constitutional order and the idea of international understanding.” Further emphasising that “hostility to Israel, which is capable of denigrating Jews… is not offered a platform in Berlin.”
This comes in the midst of continued disagreements throughout German society over the correct response to the worsening situation in the Middle East. On Friday, the Bundestag will discuss a draft law that would make “commitment to Israel’s right to exist” a requirement for German citizenship.