{"id":14750,"date":"2024-01-28T12:54:36","date_gmt":"2024-01-28T12:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/28\/crackdown-on-an-already-banned-hamas-raises-free-speech-fears-in-germany\/"},"modified":"2024-01-28T12:54:36","modified_gmt":"2024-01-28T12:54:36","slug":"crackdown-on-an-already-banned-hamas-raises-free-speech-fears-in-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/28\/crackdown-on-an-already-banned-hamas-raises-free-speech-fears-in-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"Crackdown on an already banned Hamas raises free speech fears in Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

As Israel battles Hamas in Gaza, European authorities have been tightening the net on the militants, with high-profile raids, financial curbs and a crackdown of its online activities. But no country has gone further in targeting an already-banned group and its supporters than Germany. <\/p>\n

In Berlin, pro-Palestinian marches have been limited and schools have been granted the power to place bans on Palestinian flags and keffiyeh scarves. <\/p>\n

Across the country, using the pro-Palestinian slogan \u201cFrom the river to the sea\u201d is now a criminal offense. The chant, used frequently at demonstrations, demands equal rights and the independence of Palestinians, although in some cases it is intended to call for the abolishment of Israel. <\/p>\n

German politicians have repeatedly stated that Israel\u2019s security is Germany\u2019s \u201creason of state.\u201d This term is a reference to Germany\u2019s special relationship with Israel due to its Nazi past, which saw the German state systematically murder 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. This genocide profoundly shaped the country\u2019s policymaking. <\/p>\n

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union,\u00a0last year called for a signed statement confirming \u201cIsrael\u2019s right to exist\u201d as a prerequisite for German citizenship. <\/p>\n

But Germans themselves are divided. In a January poll carried out by German public broadcaster ZDF, 61% of respondents did not consider Israel\u2019s military campaign in Gaza to be justified. <\/p>\n

Adding to a complex picture, Germany has the largest Palestinian diaspora in Europe, estimated at 300,000. <\/p>\n

There are thought to be around 450 Hamas members in Germany and, like the rest of the European Union, Germany considers Hamas a terrorist organization. <\/p>\n

The figure comes from The Federal Office for Protection of the Constitution (BfV), which in 2022 warned that \u201cHamas sees Western countries such as Germany as refuge in which the organization can concentrate on collecting donations, recruiting new supporters, and spreading its propaganda.\u201d <\/p>\n

But at the same time, Germany is facing questions over what its crackdown on a small number of Hamas members means for legitimate expressions of Palestinian solidarity and opposition to the war in Gaza. More than 26,000 people have died in the enclave since October 7, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. <\/p>\n

Arrests and raids<\/h2>\n

An early warning of the risks the new conflict brought came in October, when Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Berlin synagogue. In line with other European countries, Germany stepped up security amid fears of further attacks. There were also reports of people celebrating the Hamas attacks on the streets of Berlin. <\/p>\n

Then in December came the biggest flashpoint yet, as four alleged members of Hamas were arrested and accused of planning attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe. Three of the suspects were detained in Berlin and another in Rotterdam. <\/p>\n

According to Germany\u2019s top prosecutor, all four are longstanding members of Hamas with close links to the leadership of its military branch. <\/p>\n

German media showed images of authorities retrieving ice packs from a Berlin apartment, which contained ammonium nitrate. <\/p>\n

Hans-Jacob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), said ammonium nitrate \u2013 which is also used as a fertilizer \u2013 is the \u201cexplosive of choice\u201d for making quick and cheap improvised explosive devices. <\/p>\n

Overall, Schindler believes there are around 10,000 people in Germany who \u201cbroadly agree with what Hamas does and are willing to take part in demonstrations, raise funds and share propaganda.\u201d <\/p>\n

Asked if Hamas\u2019 presence would expand in the wake of the October 7 attacks, Schindler said: \u201cYes, it has grown already.\u201d <\/p>\n

Germany and the Netherlands are not the only European countries to see raids on Hamas suspects. <\/p>\n

But while such incidents grab headlines, more low-key efforts are also underway. <\/p>\n

Police in the German city of Potsdam seized donation boxes from two fast food restaurants in November. <\/p>\n

The boxes were labelled \u201cDie Barmherzigen H\u00e4nde e.V.\u201d or \u201cMerciful Hands\u201d \u2013 a charitable association which states on its website that it has now dissolved. <\/p>\n

Brandenburg\u2019s Office for the Protection of the Constitution has launched an investigation, but previously named \u201cMerciful Hands\u201d as a \u201ccontact point for Hamas supporters\u201d. <\/p>\n

According to The George Washington University, charitable organizations are one of the most common vehicles used by Hamas networks in the West to collect funds. <\/p>\n

\u201cHamas is pretty good at laundering funds and masking what it is doing,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe majority of people who are donating to these charities don\u2019t know [they are supporting Hamas] because they present themselves as charities that are just helping Palestinians.\u201d <\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s neighbor Austria has also grappled with the issue of Hamas fundraising, suspending aid to Palestinians in the wake of Hamas\u2019 attack pending a review into what the funds were being used for. <\/p>\n

The suspension was lifted on December 7, since the review found no indication funds were being used for terrorism. <\/p>\n

This hints at the dilemma facing international donors keen to help ease the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Germany itself stepped up its assistance earlier this year. <\/p>\n

Spreading propaganda<\/h2>\n

On November 2, Germany took the step of banning Hamas and all activities linked to the group. Although Hamas was already a proscribed terror group, the move gave authorities greater power to target supporters, including on social media. <\/p>\n

The EU has put pressure on social media giants to combat disinformation related to the Gaza conflict, while US intelligence agencies have warned Hamas is boosting its influence, in part due to viral propaganda videos. <\/p>\n

According to the Atlantic Council, a research group focusing on international relations, Telegram channels run by Hamas have experienced significant growth since the start of the conflict. A Hamas-aligned channel called \u201cGaza Now\u201d has also drastically increased its number of subscribers, nearly doubling in size within the first 24 hours of the conflict. <\/p>\n

Schindler believes that Hamas has been increasing its propaganda efforts in Europe because it knows it cannot win a conflict by conventional means. <\/p>\n

\u201cHamas understands that there\u2019s no way militarily that they can prevail against the IDF [Israel Defensce Forces]. So they have to have a couple of building blocks in place in order to make sure that Hamas as an organization has a chance to survive,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

As part of this strategy, according to Schindler, Hamas is pumping propaganda into Germany over its social media channels daily to try and build a following. <\/p>\n

Professor Yossi Mekelberg, an associate fellow of the Middle East and Africa Programme at Chatham House, believes the largest security threat comes from \u201cgeneral radicalization as a result of what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThere might be some [Hamas] cells in different places in Europe, but the main concern is how certain already-radicalized groups might react to [the war in Gaza] and decide to act through terrorism. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe radicalization happens at home, but it\u2019s affected by events abroad. The war in Gaza will have great influence because there are double standards in the killing of Israelis compared to the killing of Palestinians.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u2018Muslims in Germany are not Hamas\u2019<\/h2>\n

Berlin\u2019s refusal to authorize many pro-Palestinian demonstrations since October 7 has been criticized as infringing on the right to freedom of assembly. <\/p>\n

Germany, though, has the legal capacity to crack down on anything that could be considered antisemitic due to what it calls its \u201cspecial responsibility\u201d to the Jewish people because of the Holocaust. <\/p>\n

At the same time, this has triggered warnings that the actions could alienate a significant proportion of Germany\u2019s population. The bulk of the anti-war protests have been peaceful. <\/p>\n

One protester at an unauthorized march in Berlin last year told Reuters: \u201cI feel that in Germany we\u2019re not allowed to speak our mind.\u201d <\/p>\n

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said authorities \u201cshould avoid restrictions on protests unless they are absolutely necessary.\u201d Criminalizing or banning general Palestinian symbols is a discriminatory and disproportionate response, the organization added. <\/p>\n

However, she added that we must be careful not to equate pro-Palestinian supporters with Hamas sympathizers in Europe. <\/p>\n

\u201cNot every expression of solidarity with Palestine is support for Hamas; the desire for the Palestinians to have their own state and for peace is not antisemitic; a Palestinian flag is not a criminal offense.\u201d <\/p>\n

She emphasized that Muslim communities in Germany have felt ostracized in light of the events in the Middle East, with many talking of a \u201ccold social atmosphere\u201d which has placed Muslims \u201cunder general suspicion.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cDespite the need to safeguard Jewish life in Germany and to resolutely combat the extremism of Hamas and other groups, we must always make it clear that Muslims in Germany are not Hamas and that their concerns, fears and opinions must be taken seriously and given space.\u201d <\/p>\n

Nadine Schmidt reported from Berlin and Sophie Tanno reported from and wrote in London. <\/em> <\/p>\n\n

This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Israel battles Hamas in Gaza, European authorities have been tightening the net on the militants, with high-profile raids, financial curbs and a crackdown of its online activities. But no country has gone further in targeting an already-banned group and its supporters than Germany. In Berlin, pro-Palestinian marches have been limited and schools have been <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":14751,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-14750","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}