Berlin police chief sparks outrage over anti-Arab 'safety advice' for Jews, LGBTQ+ people

The chief of Berlin's police has advised Jews and LGBTQ+ individuals to conceal their identity in areas of Berlin with a predominantly Arab population, remarks that have been widely condemned as inflammatory and racist.

Speaking to the Berliner Zeitung newspaper, Barbara Slowik said: "There are areas of the city, we need to be perfectly honest here, where I would advise people who wear a kippah or are openly gay to be more careful."

Slowik mentioned "certain neighbourhoods" in the city with an Arab majority, claiming people there have "sympathies for terrorist groups", and were often "openly hostile towards Jews".

Slowik's comments have been met with backlash online.

“Does the Berlin police chief and the so-called journalist parroting her racist propaganda below know that the largest annual BIPOC queer parade and Jewish-led protests start from the heart of the Arab-majority street in Hermannplatz,” said one user on X.

“Predictable pitting various communities against one another & racism from Germany’s police chief, neglecting Berlin’s queer Arab & SWANA community, German police brutality towards Muslims & those demanding justice for Palestinians, & a rising far right,” noted another user.

The police chief said that while there have not been many incidents of violent crimes against Jewish people, "every act is one too many".

Hebh Jamal, a Palestinian-American journalist based in Germany, criticised inconsistencies in police reports regarding antisemitic crimes and the safety of Jewish and LGBTQ+ individuals in Berlin.

"There are always conflicting reports by the police specifically; they had a report saying it's dangerous for Jewish people and LGBTQ people to walk in Berlin, and then they say that the biggest antisemitic crimes are against police officers," Jamal told The New Arab.

Jamal said that in Germany, crimes can be considered "antisemitic" even if Jewish people are not the victims, so long as the the target is pro-Israel.

Meanwhile, Islamophobic incidents in Germany have doubled, with a 114 percent rise in 2023, particularly after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023 – with many incidents being ignored by the authorities.

"The police are extremely violent against migrants, Muslim and Palestinian population in Berlin," Jamal said.

Jamal said that pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Berlin are met with police brutality.

"At every single protest, the police are given free rein to attack, brutalise, set dogs on pro-Palestinian protesters, they are followed home, their complaints are not taken seriously at all."

The journalist added that anti-Palestinian racism is not included in racism statistics within the German state, and it is not considered a hate crime to assault a pro-Palestinian demonstrator, even if it falls into the category of Islamophobia.

"The fact that it has anything to do with pro-Palestinian would be categorised as an anti-Israel crime, or in Germany's case, anything anti-Israel is also antisemitic."