Berlin Holocaust memorial stabbing

2025 Berlin Holocaust memorial stabbing
Berlin Holocaust memorial
LocationBerlin, Germany
Date21 February 2025
TargetJews
Attack type
Stabbing
WeaponsKnife
InjuredSpanish tourist
PerpetratorWassim al M.
MotiveAntisemitism, Islamism

On 21 February 2025, a knife attack occurred at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial, resulting in the severe injury of a 30-year-old Spanish tourist. The perpetrator, identified as 19-year-old Syrian asylum seeker Wassim al M, reportedly expressed a desire to kill Jews.[1][2][3][4] He was convicted and sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment in 2026.

Background

According to Recherche- und Informationsstelle Antisemitismus, Germany has experienced an increase in antisemitic incidents since the start of the Gaza war.[5][6]. However, RIAS has been criticized by the Diaspora Alliance for interpreting anti-Zionism as antisemitism, thus inflating the reported number of incidents [7].

Prior to the stabbing at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial, German authorities arrested an 18-year-old Russian national earlier that day on suspicion of planning an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Berlin.[8] The suspect, reportedly of Chechen ethnicity, was believed to have connections to the Islamic State group and intended to carry out a firearms assault on the embassy.[9][10] This arrest was separate from the subsequent stabbing incident at the Holocaust Memorial with no reported connections.

Stabbing

On Friday, February 21, 2025, the assailant identified as 19-year-old Syrian asylum seeker Wassim al M., armed with a hunting knife, approached the victim from behind and inflicted life-threatening injuries by attempting to slit his throat.[11] The victim, a 30-year-old Spanish tourist from Bilbao, was immediately transported to a hospital, where an induced coma stabilized his condition.[12][13][14] Following the attack, the suspect fled the scene but was apprehended by authorities a few hours later, still bearing traces of blood. At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of a hunting knife, a Quran, a prayer rug, and a note containing Quranic verses, indicating a potential religious motivation.[15] The perpetrator had been planning the attack for several weeks, driven by a desire to "kill Jews."[16]

Perpetrator and conviction

The perpetrator was identified as Wassim al M., a 19-year-old Syrian asylum seeker. Wassim was born in January 2006 in Al-Shaddadi, a small town in Syria. He entered Germany on May 9, 2023, as an unaccompanied minor, possibly via the Balkan route, and was granted asylum.[17] He was assigned to the state of Saxony, where he lived in a refugee accommodation in Leipzig.[18] Prior to the attack, Wassim had come into contact with authorities in Saxony for minor offenses.[19] On 5 March 2026, a Berlin district court convicted Wasim on charges of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and attempted membership in a foreign terrorist organization and sentenced him to 13 years' imprisonment.[20] Upon convincing and sentencing, the presiding judge mentioned that Wasim had carried out the attack in the name of the Islamic State and that he chose the Holocaust memorial as a target because "he believed he would find people of Jewish faith there".[21][22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Brady, Kate (22 February 2025). "German police suspect antisemitic motive in Holocaust memorial stabbing". The Washington Post.
  2. ↑ "Stabbing at Berlin Holocaust memorial: Anti-Semitic motive revealed". The Brussels Times. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  3. ↑ "Suspect in Berlin stabbing is Syrian who wanted to 'kill Jews,' police say". The Times of Israel. AFP. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  4. ↑ Crisp, James; Rothwell, James (22 February 2025). "Berlin attacker is Syrian refugee who harboured 'plan to kill Jews'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  5. ↑ "Germany: Antisemitic incidents in Berlin rise sharply – DW – 11/28/2024". dw.com. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  6. ↑ "Jews in Germany face antisemitism surge since Oct. 7 attacks – DW – 10/06/2024". dw.com. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  7. ↑ "RIAS: Zerrbild zu Antisemitismus". nd.Aktuell (in German). Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Avrahami, Zeev; Berlin (21 February 2025). "German authorities arrest Chechen teen over suspected attack plot on Israeli embassy". Ynetnews. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  9. ↑ "Man stabbed at Holocaust memorial in Berlin". euronews. 21 February 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  10. ↑ Baum, Corinne (21 February 2025). "ISIS-affiliated Russian teen arrested for planning attack on Israeli embassy in Berlin". The Jerusalem Post. Reuters. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  11. ↑ Kostov, Bertrand Benoit and Nick. "Berlin Stabbing Extends Chain of Attacks Ahead of German Election". WSJ. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  12. ↑ Bassets, Marc (21 February 2025). "Un turista español, herido en un ataque con cuchillo en el memorial del Holocausto en Berlín". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  13. ↑ Yvon, Pierrick. "Man wounded in stabbing by Berlin Holocaust memorial; suspect arrested". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  14. ↑ Sampson, Eve; Schuetze, Christopher F. (21 February 2025). "Berlin Stabbing Attack at Holocaust Memorial Injures One". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  15. ↑ Sampson, Eve (23 February 2025). "'Religious Motivation' Possible in Berlin Stabbing, Police Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  16. ↑ "Germany - Syrian Man Arrested for Stabbing at Berlin Shoah Memorial with "Plan to Kill Jews" - February 22, 2025". The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism.
  17. ↑ "Syrian suspect in Berlin Holocaust Memorial stabbing wanted to kill Jews, investigators say". AP News. 22 February 2025. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  18. ↑ "Berlin: Warum der Attentäter vom Holocaust-Mahnmal die Polizei vor neue Probleme stellt". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  19. ↑ Marsh, Sarah (22 February 2025). "Syrian refugee arrested after Berlin stabbing as Germany prepares to vote". Reuters.
  20. ↑ "A Syrian man is convicted of stabbing a Spanish tourist at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial". AP News. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  21. ↑ "A Syrian man is convicted of stabbing a Spanish tourist at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial". ABC News. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  22. ↑ Hajdenberg, Jackie (6 March 2026). "Man who stabbed Spanish tourist at Berlin Holocaust memorial sentenced to 13 years in prison". The Forward. Retrieved 8 March 2026.

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