“Unfortunately, there are certain neighborhoods where predominantly Arab-descended people live, who also have sympathies for terrorist groups," said Barbara Slowik.
The Berlin police chief has urged Jews and LGBTQ individuals to exercise caution in Muslim-Arab neighborhoods of the German capital amid rising antisemitism and hate crimes.
The very direct recommendation less than eight decades after the Holocaust comes at a time when antisemitism has burst out in the open throughout Europe, especially in countries with a large Muslim immigrant population, in the wake of the 13-month war against Hamas in Gaza.
“There are no so-called ‘no-go areas,’ meaning areas that are too dangerous to enter,” Berlin Police President Barbara Slowik said in an interview on Monday with the Berliner Zeitung daily. “However there are areas, and we must be honest at this stage, where I would advise people who wear a kippah or are openly homosexuals or lesbians to be more attentive.”