German court calls synagogue torching an act to 'criticize Israel'

[Theodarzna]

A German regional court in the city of Wuppertal affirmed a lower court decision last Friday stating that a violent attempt to burn the city's synagogue by three men in 2014 was a justified expression of criticism of Israel’s policies.

Johannes Pinnel, a spokesman for the regional court in Wuppertal, outlined the court’s decision in a statement.
Three German Palestinians sought to torch the Wuppertal synagogue with Molotov cocktails in July, 2014. The local Wuppertal court panel said in its 2015 decision that the three men wanted to draw “attention to the Gaza conflict” with Israel. The court deemed the attack not to be motivated by antisemitism.

Israel launched Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014 to stop Hamas rocket attacks into Israeli territory.

The court sentenced the three men – the 31-year-old Mohamad E., the 26 year-old Ismail A. and the 20-year-old Mohammad A.—to suspended sentences. The men tossed self-made Molotov cocktails at the synagogue. German courts frequently decline to release the last names of criminals to protect privacy.

The attack caused €800 damage to the synagogue. The original synagogue in Wuppertal was burned by Germans during the Kristallnacht pogroms in 1938. Wuppertal has a population of nearly 344,000 and is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The court said the men had consumed alcohol and there were no injuries to members of the synagogue.
A 13-year-old who lived near the synagogue and noticed the flames informed the police. Several days before the fire, a person sprayed “Free Palestine” on a wall of the synagogue.

After the local Wuppertal court decision in 2015, Volker Beck, a leading Green Party MP, said the “attack on the synagogue was motivated by antisemitism” and blasted the court for issuing a decision stating that the goal of the attack was to highlight the war in Gaza.

“This is a mistaken decision as far as the motives of the perpetrators are concerned,” he said, adding that the burning of a synagogue in Germany because of the Middle East conflict can be attributed only to antisemitism.

“What do Jews in Germany have to do with the Middle East conflict? Every bit as much as Christians, non-religious people or Muslims in Germany, namely, absolutely nothing. The ignorance of the judiciary toward anti-Semitism is for many Jews in Germany especially alarming, ” said Beck.

(source)

I wonder if someone could torch a mosque and say its a criticism of Saudi Arabia?

[Raskayz]

Let's just torch all religious monuments and see how everything is better

[Deleted]

Oh look the Jpost. Israels version of breitbart and the Daily Mail.

Clearly this article will be unbiased and full of properly checked facts.

[Theodarzna]

Oh look the Jpost. Israels version of breitbart and the Daily Mail.

Clearly this article will be unbiased and full of properly checked facts.

Here is another article link for you. :3

[Polyxo]

So, if we're parsing this out entirely, the courts did not rule that the attempted arson was not a crime, just whether the crime was religiously based. In order to determine whether it could be feasibly determined to be an attack on Israel as a political entity, and not Judaism as a whole, you'd really have to see how aggressively supportive that specific synagogue is of Israeli right wing policies, and I don't see any information one way or another regarding that.

[Wildtree]

badabum...
http://www.wuppertaler-rundschau.de/...-aid-1.6507411

translation:

The sentencing against the three convicted men remains in tact.
The men were charged and sentenced for attempted severe arson.

They threw self made Molotov cocktails at the entrance of the synagogue. Yet the projectiles extinguished by themselves, midair.

In fact, as I read it, the sentencing even increased in the revision.
Instead of 1 year, 3 month, for all, it changed to
2 years for one, 1 year and 11 month for another, and the third sentencing remains unchanged.

[Deleted]

Just to sum it up.

They were still found guilty of attempted arson. The court ruled however it was not due to Anti-semitism but due to the War,conflict whatever you want to call it the Palestinians, Israelies were fighting.

[Masark]

Here is another article link for you. :3

I think they wanted a credible source, not the Moonie Times.

[Deleted]

I wonder if someone could torch a mosque and say its a criticism of Saudi Arabia?

No, Theo. Just no. What interesting discussion do you think will evolve out of your germany bashing?

[Super Kami Dende]

Don't you just love how Hate Crimes can be committed by some people but the same Crime isn't a Hate Crime for others!

Ahh yes, Equality and tolerance and justice and all that Jazz.

[Deleted]

Do everyone a favour and add Wildtree's article to the OP.
Nothing to discuss here.

[Felya]

badabum...
http://www.wuppertaler-rundschau.de/...-aid-1.6507411

translation:

The sentencing against the three convicted men remains in tact.
The men were charged and sentenced for attempted severe arson.

They threw self made Molotov cocktails at the entrance of the synagogue. Yet the projectiles extinguished by themselves, midair.

In fact, as I read it, the sentencing even increased in the revision.
Instead of 1 year, 3 month, for all, it changed to
2 years for one, 1 year and 11 month for another, and the third sentencing remains unchanged.

Thanks! This is greatly appreciated.

[Independent voter]

Maybe it was an act to criticize Israel but it's still a crime that shouldn't be tolerated. Let them carry signs that say "down with Israel" or something typical like that, setting fire to a building is wrong.

[shrunken]

Germany getting back to their early 20th century roots.

[Deleted]

Germany getting back to their early 20th century roots.

Not really. Just Theodarzna back on the fake news track.

You are able to discuss properly. Just get rid of your alt right sources.

[Wildtree]

And if someone in Germany burned down a mosque under the ruse of protesting ISIS, or hell Iran or Saudi Arabia or any of the other defined and admitted Islamic states, would you find this believable and acceptable?

They didn't burn anything down.
Stop exaggerating with fallacies.
They attempted to set fire to the place, but were too stupid. Their motive was war, not antisemitism.
The actual crime was punished as it should be.

[Endus]

And if someone in Germany burned down a mosque under the ruse of protesting ISIS, or hell Iran or Saudi Arabia or any of the other defined and admitted Islamic states, would you find this believable and acceptable?

Nobody is arguing that the arson was "acceptable" or in any way justified. It's obviously criminal, and the perpetrators were charged accordingly, and found guilty of arson. It just wasn't deemed a hate crime, because the motivation was apparently political, not based in anti-semitism specifically.

Also, can we cut the "burn down a mosque" nonsense? The sentences weren't that heavy because the arson attack did a whopping $800 in damage to the synagogue. It wasn't "burned down"; that's some minor repair and repainting. Which isn't saying "it's nothing" or "it's acceptable", but it needs to be treated as vandalism causing $800 in damage, not "burning down a synagogue".

[IIamaKing]

Self made Molotov cocktail. Just feels like an unnecessary distinction. Are there store bought Molotovs?

OT Not sure I get the hub bub.

[Deleted]

Also, can we cut the "burn down a mosque" nonsense? The sentences weren't that heavy because the arson attack did a whopping $800 in damage to the synagogue. It wasn't "burned down"; that's some minor repair and repainting. Which isn't saying "it's nothing" or "it's acceptable", but it needs to be treated as vandalism causing $800 in damage, not "burning down a synagogue".

This thread is just about Theodarzna trying to discredit germany as "fascist". And MMO-C being incapable to stop fake news posts.

Ok, Theo, listen.. i know. Mrs. Merkel is the main hate target of Mr. Putin. I understand that you have problems with facts and keeping them out of context of your propaganda attitude towards anything that threatens your beloved russian leader. But please, Theo, please.. just get back to factual discussions and take your propaganda gibberish to where the sun isnt shining. And keep it there. It belongs there.

Over and out.

[NaNaaru]

Also, can we cut the "burn down a mosque" nonsense? The sentences weren't that heavy because the arson attack did a whopping $800 in damage to the synagogue. It wasn't "burned down"; that's some minor repair and repainting. Which isn't saying "it's nothing" or "it's acceptable", but it needs to be treated as vandalism causing $800 in damage, not "burning down a synagogue".

If you fire a gun at someone, miss, and damage his car window, is it vandalism?