Germany: BDS activists investigated by specialized unit for political extremism

Via The Jerusalem Post (Benjamin Weinthal):

A criminal complaint filed against three BDS activists who allegedly launched physical and verbal tirades at MK Aliza Lavie and an Israeli survivor of the Holocaust at a June event in Berlin has been sent to a police division responsible for political extremism, a spokeswoman for the authorities told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday. 

The criminal allegations were leveled against Ronnie Barkan, Majed Abusalama and Stavit Sinai, who face charges of trespassing for their activity at the Humboldt University event with Lavie. 

A spokesman for Yesh Atid’s Lavie told the Post on Wednesday that the MK “expects there will be some sanction against them, not only because of the offending behavior in this case, but mainly as a message against this type of violent discourse, whose consequences may be dangerous.” 

According to the complaint, a female BDS activist, who is believed to be Sinai, “swung [her fists] wildly around her and attendees” as she was escorted from the university room for disrupting the event. She “continuously attempted to reenter the lecture hall and pounded on the door.” 

Barkan runs a group called “Boycott from Within” in Israel and has been barred from delivering BDS talks in municipal buildings in the northern German city of Oldenburg. 

The Post obtained a June 20 letter from Humboldt University president Dr. Sabine Kunst to Lavie in which she wrote: “You came to Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin on June 20th to talk about ‘Life in Israel – Terror, Bias and the Chances for Peace.’ Unfortunately, you were harassed by three individuals on that occasion. Please accept my heartfelt apologies for the incident at your talk with the German- lsraeli Society in rooms of our university.” 

Kunst added: “Criminal charges for trespassing have been filed against the three disturbers. lt is a matter of particular interest at Humboldt-Universität to prevent incidents like this from happening again.”

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