Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ comparison with the Holocaust is making waves around the world. The Berlin State Criminal Police Office is also dealing with the case. Officials are investigating the initial suspicion of hate speech. However, it is uncertain whether Abbas will have to face legal consequences.
The Berlin police are investigating Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas because of his statement at a press conference in the Federal Chancellery that Israel had committed “50 holocausts” against Palestinians since 1947. A police spokeswoman confirmed that Abbas was being investigated because of the initial suspicion of incitement to hatred. The investigation will be processed in a specialist department of the State Criminal Police Office and “sent promptly to the Berlin public prosecutor’s office for information and further decision”.
When asked by the “Bild” newspaper, the Federal Foreign Office said that the federal government assumes that Abbas enjoys immunity because he was in the Federal Republic as part of an “official visit”.
The Augsburg criminal law expert Michael Kubiciel told the paper that it was not decisive whether Abbas was in Berlin at the invitation of the Federal Republic. Many people would accept an invitation from government agencies without enjoying immunity. It is therefore crucial that the person was in Germany “as a representative of another state”. Consequently, the question “whether Palestine is a state or not is of crucial importance,” said Kubiciel. Germany did not recognize Palestine as a state.
With his statement after a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Palestinian President caused outrage on Tuesday. “Israel has committed 50 massacres in 50 Palestinian locations from 1947 to the present day,” Abbas said, adding, “50 massacres, 50 holocausts.” Scholz did not comment again after that and shook Abbas’ hand in farewell. The Chancellor later condemned the statements made by the Palestinian President.
