Early Tuesday morning, several Molotov cocktails were thrown into the entrance of the synagogue in Wuppertal Germany. Three people were believed to have committed the crime and one, an 18-year old was arrested.
According to local police the arson was detected at around 2:15 am by one of the synagogue's neighbors who saw something burning on the road and called in the fire. At the entrance to the synagogue several were partly broken bottles. The evening before the arson attack windows of the synagogue were spray-painted with the words "free Palestine."
The 18-year-old was arrested close to the crime scene. His specific role in the attack and his nationality was still undetermined. Two other bombers are still on the run. There was no damage to the synagogue and no one was hurt.
Attacks on Jewish institutions in Germany have increased since the Israeli land campaign began almost two weeks ago. According to the Ministry of the Interior, police have been instructed to increase security.
This past Friday, police discovered a planned attack 3:00 am on the Old Synagogue in Essen. Four suspects described as immigrants were arrested sitting in their cars outside the synagogue two hours before the attack was supposed to happen.
Dmitry Yegudin, head of the Jewish community Duisburg, Oberhausen and Mülheim said he has hired private security to guard local synagogues. Yegudin says he is especially worried about the children in his community. "Our daycare has been receiving threatening phone calls," he says. "That makes us all very afraid." he added that the community is considering hiring security guards for the daycare center as well.
Even Sharon Fehr, Chairman of the Jewish community Munster, is concerned about the sudden mass hatred of Jews in his area and says "We are being attacked by some passers-by in front of the synagogue." And adds he is trying to reassure members of the community.
Source: RP News, and Spiegel Online translated by Google
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