Three members of Frankfurt’s Jewish community were attacked Friday while holding a vigil to raise awareness about Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for 687 days.
Sasha Stabsky, 55, a member of the Jewish community and activist with the anti-antisemitism group Honestly Concerned, told Bild that he and two other participants were hanging pictures of the 50 remaining hostages on a fence in Grünburg Park when a masked woman poured red paint on them from two containers.
Stabsky said 20 to 30 activists were present, some masked, who tried to block and harass them. “We heard antisemitic chants, were called ‘child killers’ and heard shouts of ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘genocide,’” he said. “Then we were attacked with paint. Some of it got on my glasses so I couldn’t clearly see the assailant.”
Frankfurt police confirmed the incident occurred around 5 p.m. and said they would increase their presence in the area and update security plans.
Stabsky said the attack was part of a pattern of harassment. “In recent days the pictures I hung in the park were repeatedly torn down. This time it escalated to a physical attack, which is shocking in a city twinned with Tel Aviv,” he said.
Representatives of the Jewish community told the Frankfurter Allgemeine that removing the photos was not just a political act but “a blow to the families of the hostages in Gaza” and should be regarded as an antisemitic act.
Community sources added that a pro-Palestinian camp operates in the area and that many events held there involve incitement against Israel and use public spaces to promote extreme views.
