Antisemitic attackers target Kreuzberg shopkeeper

Berlin police reported multiple antisemitic attacks in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg on 10 October 2026, with a particular focus on a shop owner on Reichenberger Straße who had publicly taken a stand against anti-Jewish hatred. According to Tagesspiegel, groups of youths insulted and physically assaulted the shopkeeper on several occasions, apparently in retaliation for his open opposition to antisemitism in the neighbourhood. The latest attack prompted the state security division of the Berlin criminal police to take over investigations. Local politicians and Jewish community leaders expressed shock and solidarity with the trader and called on the Senate to strengthen protection for shops and residents facing targeted abuse. The case fuelled wider political debate in Berlin, where the handling of antisemitism has become a dividing line in coalition talks and where repeated incidents in Kreuzberg and Neukölln have raised concern about rising hostility toward Jewish and pro-Israel voices in parts of the city.