Germany announced Tuesday they summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires after a German court found ties between Iran and a 2022 synagogue arson plot.
“According to the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court, the planned attack on a [Synagogue] in November 2022 in [Bochum] was carried out by an Iranian state agency. We have therefore summoned the Iranian chargé d’affaires to the Foreign Office,” The German Foreign Office tweeted. (RELATED: REPORT: Iran Postponed Hamas Attack On Israel, Originally Supposed To Be During Passover)
Der geplante Anschlag auf eine #Synagoge im November 2022 in #Bochum geht laut dem OLG Düsseldorf auf eine staatliche iranische Stelle zurück. Wir haben deshalb den iranischen Geschäftsträger ins Auswärtige Amt einbestellt. (1/2)
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) December 19, 2023
“The fact that Jewish life should be attacked here is intolerable. We will not tolerate any foreign-controlled violence in Germany. The precise reasons for the judgment are now important for consequences and next steps, including at EU level,” the German Foreign Office added in their tweet.
Dass hier jüdisches Leben angegriffen werden sollte, ist unerträglich. Wir werden keine ausländisch gesteuerte Gewalt in Deutschland dulden. Für Konsequenzen und nächste Schritte, auch auf EU-Ebene, ist jetzt die genaue Urteilsbegründung wichtig. (2/2)
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) December 19, 2023
A German court convicted Babak J., a German-Iranian national, for a synagogue arson plot and sentenced him to prison in Nov. 2022 for a period of two years and six months, Deutsche Welle (DW) reported. Babak ended up throwing an incendiary device at a school instead of a synagogue, causing minor damage and no injuries, according to DW.
The school building in question was adjacent to the synagogue, according to the Times of Israel. The change in targets occurred due to the synagogue being too well guarded, DW reported. The court also expressed the view another arson attack and the shooting of a Rabbi’s house in the German city of Essen in 2022 was linked to the Bochum attack, DW reported.
Berlin summons Iran envoy after court finds ties to 2022 synagogue arson plot https://t.co/TyKqXhu0D1 . Click to read ⬇️
— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) December 19, 2023
A synagogue in Berlin was reportedly firebombed back on Oct. 18 amid an eruption of antisemitic incidents worldwide during the Israel-Hamas War.