Police in Germany have detained a Libyan man suspected of planning an attack on the Israeli embassy in Berlin, federal prosecutors confirmed on Saturday. The individual was arrested during a raid on a flat in Bernau, north of Berlin.
The operation, carried out by police commandos, followed a tip-off from a foreign intelligence agency, according to Bild newspaper. The 28-year-old suspect, identified only as Omar A., had not previously been listed on any militant watchlist in Germany.
Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, expressed gratitude for the German authorities’ efforts in ensuring the embassy’s security.
Earlier in October, Israeli embassies in Copenhagen and Stockholm were also targeted. Following Israel’s bombardment of Gaza after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, German authorities have heightened security measures against threats and the rise of ‘anti-Semitism’, mirroring actions taken in most European countries.
In September, Munich police fatally shot an Austrian man after he opened fire at the Israeli consulate and local police. More than 3,200 anti-Semitic crimes have been recorded in Germany this year, nearly double the number reported during the same period last year.
Bild also reported that a second property was searched in Sankt Augustin, near Bonn. The suspect’s uncle, who lived there, was treated as a witness but was not detained. Authorities suspect the arrested Libyan may have planned to visit this location after the attack before fleeing the country.
The man reportedly entered Germany in November 2022, seeking asylum, which was rejected in September 2023. Germany has faced several violent incidents involving asylum seekers recently, adding pressure on the government and fuelling support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
In August, a 26-year-old Syrian man killed three people in a stabbing attack at a festival in Solingen. He had avoided deportation attempts before the attack.