Berlin police detain man after antisemitic assault on Jewish family in Charlottenburg

Berlin police arrested a 31-year-old man Saturday for an antisemitic attack in the Charlottenburg district. The man allegedly followed a Jewish father and two children, shouting antisemitic insults and spitting at them. When the father, who was wearing a kippah, confronted him, the attacker reportedly struck him in the face.

Several bystanders intervened, including a 45-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman. The alleged assailant then directed antisemitic insults and threats at the woman, leading to a physical altercation with the 45-year-old man. The Berlin State Criminal Police Office's State Security Division is investigating the incident.

This attack comes as antisemitic incidents in Germany have reached an all-time high. The antisemitism watchdog RIAS recorded 8,725 incidents in 2025, averaging about 24 cases daily. This included 178 physical attacks and 257 threats, with notable cases in Kehl and Hesse. The report also documented four instances of extreme violence, including a terrorist attack at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin.