Arson Attack on Synagogue in Wuppertal – Suspect Arrested
The fire was extinguished within minutes, and prosecutors said they are investigating the suspect for attempted aggravated arson.
- Police arrested a 37-year-old Afghan national on Thursday for allegedly attempting to set fire to the Bergische Synagogue in Wuppertal; community members extinguished the flames within minutes, preventing injuries days before Yom Kippur.
- The 2014 firebombing of the Bergische Synagogue highlights persistent security challenges, as North Rhine-Westphalia recorded 1,102 antisemitic incidents in 2025, a 17% increase reflecting a broader rise in targeted offenses across Germany.
- During the arrest, the suspect made "comments that indicated an antisemitic motive," according to Prosecutors, and Police are investigating his mobile phone data after discovering knives and a machete in his apartment.
- Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews, warned the perpetrator's brazenness showed "how far the normalization of antisemitism has progressed," while Wuppertal's mayor described the attack as "utterly despicable."
- Representing 2.5 million Jews, the European Jewish Congress noted that attacks around the Jewish High Holidays are intended to spread fear, though Police have not yet formally classified this incident as antisemitic.
106 Articles
106 Articles
German synagogue fire arson suspect arrested after spewing antisemitic remarks during Jewish high holidays
The suspect is believed to have hurled two bags containing flammable liquid at the synagogue, poured the contents of a third bag near a side entrance, and then set the liquid ablaze.
In the middle of a broad day, the Bergisches Synagogue in Wuppertal burns. Members of the Jewish community can extinguish the flames before people are injured or more harm is caused. A little later, a police-known 37-year-old Afghane is in police custody – in the meantime, a warrant has been issued against him for attempted serious arson.
Man arrested for alleged arson attack on German synagogue days before Yom Kippur
According to prosecutors, the man made an antisemitic comment on the scene, but a definitive Islamist motive was not established. 'We will not allow ourselves to be deterred from living our religion,' said the leader of German Jewish group
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Mittelstand Cafend.DerTag / nd.DieWoche [Newsroom]Berlin (ots) - On Thursday afternoon there was an attempt to attack the synagogue in Wuppertal. A 37-year-old man distributed a combustible liquid in the entrance area of the synagogue and lit it. The fire could quickly ... Continue reading here...Original content of: nd.DerTag / nd.DieWoche, transmitted by news aktuell
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