German authorities in Berlin have launched a hate crime investigation after a Jewish man was pushed to the ground from behind by two men, police said on Wednesday.
The 55-year-old victim told police he was wearing clothing that identified him as a Jew when the incident occurred on Tuesday in the western neighbourhood of Charlottenburg.
He returned home before contacting emergency services to report head and leg pain.
Concerns about anti-Jewish sentiments have been on the rise in Germany.
Last month, a rabbi was walking home with his son after conducting a service at a Berlin synagogue when two Arabic-speaking men swore and spat at him.
Germany’s anti-Semitism commissioner made headlines in May when he warned Jews not to wear kippahs – traditional Jewish skullcaps – in public spaces.
The comments were prompted by statistics showing a rise in anti-Semitic crimes in Germany.
According to official figures, the number of anti-Semitic crimes committed in Germany increased from 1,504 in 2017 to 1,646 in 2018, a 10-per-cent rise.
The number of cases considered violent increased from 37 to 62 over the same period.
Statistics on hate crimes compiled by Germany’s Interior Ministry demonstrate that an average of four anti-semitic incidents have been reported every day for nearly 20 years, a prominent news outlet has revealed.
“Since 2001, the Federal Ministry of the Interior publishes annually police statistics for crimes motivated by anti-Semitism.
“According to the ministry, there were a total of 1799 anti-Semitic offenses in 2018. In 2014, there were just under 1,600 cases, in 2006, more than 1,800.
“On average, there have been about four offenses every day since 2001,” the Dusseldorf-based Rheinische Post reported.
