Germany Says Israel ‘Has Right To Self-Defence’

BERLIN — Germany is standing by Israel during the most intense fighting since the 2014 Gaza war.

Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht on Wednesday condemned the rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza, saying Germany is standing “strongly on the side of Israel.” She called for the attacks on Israel to stop, adding that Israel has the right to protect itself.”

Lambrecht also denounced anti-Semitic acts near synagogues in Germany. She said a spate of Israeli flag-burning and other acts at a time of “agony” for Israel shows “nothing but horrible disrespect for human dignity.”

German news agency dpa reported that police stopped 13 suspects late Tuesday in the western city of Muenster near a synagogue after an Israeli flag was burned there.

Police said that in the western city of Bonn, several people damaged the entrance of a synagogue with stones. Investigators found a burned flag there as well. And in nearby Duesseldorf, somebody burned garbage on top of a memorial for a former synagogue. The justice minister vowed that “the perpetrators must be found and held responsible and Jewish institutions must be protected thoroughly.”