Brandstiftung: Feuer an Synagoge: Hinweise auf Antisemitismus

Investigators suspect antisemitism as the motive behind the arson attack on the Wuppertal synagogue. This suspicion is supported by comments made by the suspected perpetrator at the crime scene, according to a spokesperson for the Wuppertal state prosecutor's office. The apartment of the 37-year-old Afghan suspect was searched on Thursday, where a mobile phone was discovered, the contents of which are still under examination.

The fire was set on a staircase near the side entrance of the Bergische Synagoge in Wuppertal. A police spokesperson reported that the fire was quickly extinguished by the synagogue's staff. No one was injured, and the damage was minimal. Witnesses have been sought. The perpetrator had a prior conviction for threatening a neighbor, stated the prosecutor.

Police are searching for two young women who were reportedly present near the synagogue at the time of the incident. They are wanted as witnesses, emphasized the prosecutor's office. The man is said to have poured a flammable liquid onto the staircase steps and set it alight just before 14:00 on Thursday. He was apprehended near the crime scene.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany referred to the incident as a "fire attack." "Once again, an attack on a synagogue has taken place during the Jewish high holidays," stated Zentralratspräsident Josef Schuster. A fire attack on the synagogue had already occurred in 2014, committed by three Palestinians who claimed they aimed to draw attention to the Gaza conflict.

They received suspended sentences. The Bergische Synagoge was opened in 2002. The Jewish Community of Wuppertal, according to the Central Council of Jews, comprises around 2,000 people.