World Jewish Congress Vice-President Dieter Graumann, the head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, has expressed outrage at an attack against an 83-year-old man during a solidarity rally in Hamburg, Germany for the three Israeli teenagers kidnapped in the West Bank nearly two weeks ago.
The man was reportedly thrown to the ground by a counter-demonstrator, and the man's daughter was also assaulted when she tried to protect her father. The man had to be treated in hospital for head wounds.
The incident took place at a 'Bring Back Our Boys' rally in Hamburg last Friday organized by the Young Forum of the German-Israel Society and the Hamburg for Israel network, according to Germany’s main Jewish newspaper 'Jüdische Allgemeine.
Graumann said he was shocked and extremely worried that “this kind of pure hatred against Israel not only exists in Germany but is expressed in violent assaults.” He said he was counting on local authorities to “quickly apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
Ina Dinslage, spokeswoman for the Young Forum in Hamburg, also expressed shock at the attack. “We wanted to show our solidarity with the kidnapped teens,” she said.
Graumann said he hoped for more such demonstrations for democracy and peace, “values that Israel has always stood for.”